Silver Booster Gaming

The Voice Change: Snake's Downfall

2013-06-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

During Konami's pre-e3 stream, it was revealed that Big Boss would indeed have a new voice actor with Kiefer Sutherland replacing David Hayter as the voice of the iconic hero of the Metal Gear Solid series and fans have been up in arms. Die-hard Hayter fans took to Twitter and various message boards in protest: How could Kojima Productions replace Snake's signature grumbly voice after over 15 years of devotion to the series? How could Hideo Kojima forsake the man that sacrificed a portion of his paycheck to ensure that the original voice cast could be hired once again for the remake to Metal Gear Solid. Kojima stated that Kiefer Sutherland was chosen to give Big Boss a more subdued demeanor in order to compliment Metal Gear Solid V's much more darker themes such as race and revenge. Revealing a top notch actor along with a valid reason for the replacement still hasn't calmed the masses raving on the internet who have even threatened to boycott the game if Hayter is not cast. As much as Hayter deserves this love from fans and a role in the latest MGS installment, the decision to recast Big Boss is an absolute necessity not only for the character to grow but for the series to expand further into unexplored territory.

This article isn't meant to compare either actor's performing abilities: both men are amazing actors in their own right. This article is meant to provide an argument why the voice of Big Boss must change in order for the entire series to progress.

The main reason why Big Boss should not be voiced by David Hayter is because of the fact that Big Boss is no longer a Snake. Hayter is credited for voicing two characters in the entire series; Solid Snake and Naked Snake (aka Big Boss). He voiced Solid Snake in MGS 1, 2 and 4 and Big Boss in 3, Portable Ops and Peace Walker. Like father like son, these two Snakes share very similar characteristics and very similar character arcs throughout their lives.

During the events of MGS1, Solid Snake accepted a mission that proved to be more than what it seemed to be. The U.S. army black ops group turned rogue, Foxhound, took control of Shadow Moses Island and made a threat to launch a nuke if their demands were not met. It turned out that this group of terrorists consisted of disciples of the legendary soldier, Big Boss, and was led by none other than Solid Snake's biological brother, Liquid Snake, who wished to carry out a plan bigger than the United States government itself. Snake realized that the motives of a higher power was bigger than even himself. This is mirrored in his father's epiphany during the events of MGS3 where a mission of Soviet espionage turned into a tale of betrayal that made him questioned his allegiance to his own country.

Another parallel between the two is that they were both betrayed and used by their own mentors which led to both establishing their own view of the world and their own ethics. Big Boss was betrayed by his mentor, The Boss, and was forced to end her life. This drove him on the war-torn path that would ultimately create the world and lore of Metal Gear. Solid Snake, during the events of Metal Gear (NES/MSX), would be led by his commander Big Boss throughout his entire mission in Outer Heaven. It would be revealed that Big Boss was actually the leader of Outer Heaven and intentional led Solid Snake into traps and gave him false intel. In the end, Solid Snake would end the life of his mentor and father whose philosophies of the world could not co-exist with his own.

With such similarities, it is no doubt why both men shared the iconic voice for 15 years. Both men have been portrayed as the persevering warrior that would only wage war for the good of the world, however, Big Boss's path leads to a much more tragic end than that of his son's. Solid Snake would live to be the hero that would free the world of the Patriot's grasp while Big Boss would live to become the evil war monger who used child soldiers and an entire war state to bring the world to the brink of Apocalypse. With Kojima's need to give the series more darker themes and with the franchise's chronology creeping closer to Big Boss's own climax, the need to bring a new voice actor to emphasize this tragic shift becomes tragically apparent.

The trailer for Metal Gear Solid V, which takes place in 1984 (11 years before the events of Metal Gear) foreshadows Big Boss's downfall in the last few moments where he rides off on a black motorcycle, wearing a black leather jacket, with a black piece of shrapnel embedded in the right side of his skull. The piece of shrapnel is symbolic of a demon's horn sprouting through his head yet only on the right side. This may mean that he is slowly traveling down the evil path that he will end up during the events of Metal Gear. With MGSV being the start of a new chapter in the series and for Big Boss, it would be inappropriate for David Hayter to voice a man who will commit such heinous acts of war and death. Hayter's voice is reserved for the hero who puts the needs of his comrades and the world first before anything. He is only reserved to voice a Snake.

There have been four characters that bear the name Snake throughout the game series; Naked Snake aka Big Boss, his perfect clone, Solidus Snake, and his twin sons, Solid Snake and Liquid Snake. Liquid Snake and Solidus Snake have different voice actors; Cam Clarke and John Cygan respectively. Both the main villains of their respective games, neither is referred to as Snake. Liquid Snake is simply referred to as Liquid and Solidus Snake (after being mistaken for Solid Snake) was referred to as either George, The President, or King. The only characters repeatedly referred to as Snake are Solid Snake and Big Boss who are both voiced by David Hayter.

At the end of MGS3, after Big Boss proved his loyalty to the mission and his country by killing The Boss, he was awarded by President Johnson the title of Big Boss. However, during the events of Portable Ops (6 years after MGS3) he refused the title, preferring his old codename, Snake. This whole time he refused the call to carry on the torch of The Boss, the woman he most respected, believing he was tricked into killing her. During the events of Peace Walker (4 years later), his respect and devotion for The Boss would be put to the test when he is forced to face a Metal Gear like machine that contained an A.I. designed to resemble the mind of The Boss. After preventing a nuclear launch and killing his mentor for a second time, Big Boss would toss away the head band that he took from The Boss in MGS3; a head band that not only represented The Boss but a signature piece of attire closely associated with Solid Snake as well. He would then announce to his devoted soldiers at Mother Base of his plans to create Outer Heaven, the same soldier-controlled state that would nearly bring the world to an end. Finally, 10 years after being awarded the title, Snake would abandon his codename and accept the title of Big Boss and, incidentally, the fate of becoming a monster. "Monster" was what his former comrade and close friend during Peace Walker, Kazuhira Miller, would call Big Boss when he would speak to his son, Solid Snake, almost 20 years later.

A monster is certainly not someone that Hideo Kojima wants to be associated with David Hayter's Snake, a character loved by many gamers with the most distinct voice in all of gaming. He instead opted to give Big Boss a more subdued and serious actor like Kiefer Sutherland to guide the character on his dark new journey. People might still complain about the voice change but it's evident that Kojima planned everything with pure intentions and with great respect and love to the fans of his series and to David Hayter who had just as much responsibility in bringing to life such a powerful character. Let us not bicker over the artist's direction but allow him to take us for another wild, cinematic and emotional ride.

Review: Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon

2013-06-07T02:07:00.000-07:00

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

Developed by Next Level Games
Published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo 3DS
Released March 24, 2013

This Moon Shines Bright

With 2013 being the Year of Luigi, it's only fitting that it all kicks off with the sequel to Luigi's defining role in 2001's Luigi's Mansion for the Gamecube. For the debut of the Gamecube, Luigi was brought to the forefront to lead the way for the budding console and provide a perfect example of how high quality the games Nintendo had planned to bring to its audience for half a decade would be. Fast forward 12 years later and Nintendo finally decided to give Luigi a second go in the spotlight, this time on the 3DS.

The original Luigi's Mansion was a unique departure from anything that had been presented by Nintendo and the best thing about it was that it was so quirky and weird that it worked. Dark Moon attempted to rekindle this magic that breathed life into the Gamecube and give fans a well deserve fix of the green-clad hero but ended up not only improving on virtually everything offered in the original game but gave a fitting kick off to Nintendo's proudly promoted "Year of Luigi."

Dark Moon is so cartoony and enamoring in its representation of its characters: Luigi, E.Gadd, and the lovable yet frightful ghosts. With each passing dialogue box containing adorable puns left and right to its quirky and cartoony cutscenes that play out with charm reminiscent of a 1950s Bugs Bunny cartoon, I found my smile harder and harder to suppress. From Luigi's comical reluctancy of the adventure at hand, to E.Gadd's almost sadistic yet delightful take on the matters, to the ghosts' Three Stooges like interactions, the humor stays with entrances the player from start to finish.

While the original game was slow-paced and encouraged exploration, Dark Moon moves at a much hastened rate while regrettably sacrifices an emphasis on exploration. Dark Moon consists of eradicating ghosts from five separate mansions which are divided up into five or six chapters. These chapters then can be replayed to earn a better ranking, capture hidden Boos, or just to see how fast it can be beaten. The game, as a whole offers so much more than in Luigi's first ghost adventure. Not only will Luigi suck up as many ghosts as possible, he can also reveal hidden objects using his Dark Light. The Poltergust will not only be used for ghost hunting but also puzzle solving; Luigi can reveal hidden pathways in the mansions' walls and use the Poltergust's suction to hang on ropes and swing across treacherous gaps. Luigi's Mansion is no longer a spooky game of hide-and-seek but a game of survival that will rely on the player's wits to safely escort Luigi through the mansion intact.

Another addition to the series is a multiplayer mode called Scarescraper which can be played locally, online with friends or online through matchmaking. The mode involves a group of two to four players as they scale the terrifying and seemingly endless Scarescraper, floor by floor, completing a goal at a time through cooperation. The goals consist of either capturing all the ghosts, finding the exit, finding a certain treasure, or defeating the boss ghost. Players can interact with each other through four different sayings but it'll quickly overstay its welcome once one of the players spams the HEY! button nonstop until the only means of action is to shut off the 3DS. The online appeared to be very responsive and the mode overall gives the game a lot more replay value than what is already offered through replaying single player chapters.

Dark Moon is everything a sequel should be and does everything one should do. It took everything that made the original game good and improved upon it. Dark Moon combines witty writing, great puzzle-solving, wacky action and hammered on an addicting multiplayer mode for good measure. Luigi certainly kicked off his year right with a must-have title that certainly will not be forgotten in his older brother's shadow.

--------------------------------------------------

Gameplay:
Take Luigi's Mansion and multiply the action, puzzles, humor, charm and exploration tenfold. Dark Moon improves on every mechanic in the first game by incorporating ghost hunting, with puzzle solving, with tech upgrading and improved item usage (the flashlight needs to be super flashed using a button in order to stun a ghost).

Playability:
A major complaint about the original Luigi's Mansion was the awkward looking movements inputted on the C-stick. Dark Moon simplified this by only allowing Luigi to look up or down using X and B buttons. However this complicates matters a little when trying to input multiple commands simultaneously during heated situations. Also with a lack of a second stick, turning Luigi another direction while already shining the light or vacuuming is impossible and can leave the player in a tough spot. Otherwise the controls feel more polished than ever before.

Fun:
From comical situations, to ghost capturing, to puzzle-solving, to tech upgrading, to raiding the Scarescraper with friends Ghost Busters style, Dark Moon never leaves room for a dull moment.

Camera:
While not necessary, the camera can be moved using the gyroscope or the X/B buttons otherwise the camera stays with Luigi appropriately.

Lasting Appeal:
The game is quite lengthy with its five mansions that include around five chapters each and allows for replaying to get better ranks, unlock more items, and capture hidden boos. The multiplayer Scarescraper (local and online) adds a ton more replay value as well.

Graphics:
The graphics are the only thing that the original has over Dark Moon. The graphics are bland and lack detail and textures in both character and environmental models. It could have really added a lot more spirit to each mansion. Although it is worth noting that in certain sections of the mansion the framerate does increase dramatically giving the game a much crisper feeling.

Sound:
The game uses its signature Luigi's Mansion theme appropriately but also adds a new score adapted to each mansion. Luigi's screams and E.Gadd's chuckles are just as memorable 12 years later.

Difficulty:
The game starts off easy enough but then the hoards of ghosts start attacking relentlessly while puzzles will begin to require more and more thought.

Flow:
The game moves at a fast pace and never slows down.

RANK: A

Xbox One: One step in the Wrong Direction

2013-05-23T00:59:00.000-07:00

Microsoft unveiled the next generation Xbox, the Xbox One, Tuesday in Redmond, Wash. to a tent full of journalists, planted Microsoft cheerers, and to the world via livestreams. The world awaited for Microsoft's answer to Sony's Playstation 4 reveal but certain rumors about always-online connectivity and no used games set a dark cloud over the entire event. Instead of subsiding these fears, however, Microsoft reinforced them by confirming daily-online connectivity, used game fees, a focus on television and sports, and having no games showcased other than EA sports titles and Call of Duty: Ghosts. It became instantly clear that the Xbox One is not only forgetting to keep the wants of the core game enthusiast in mind, it's leading the industry on a path that will hurt the consumer and the video game market as a whole.

Daily-Online Connectivity:
One of the main concerns people had with the new Xbox was a rumor circulating that it would require a constant connection to the internet to be able to continue to play games. This would be a form of digital rights management, most commonly implemented for game distribution services like Steam and Origin, that safeguards against piracy. This may sound like a good idea on paper but when a game requires an always-online connection this causes problems most notably with games such as Sim City V and Diablo 3 where if the game detects a lost connection it will boot them out of the game entirely even during single player mode. This greedy form of safeguarding compromises the comfort of the player in order to prevent piracy and displays a total distrust of the consumer.

The entire subject wasn't mentioned until after the conference when Geoff Keighley asked Don Mattrick about the shady subject to which he responded by saying that an internet connection is necessary for the many functions of the Xbox One but it won't prevent you from playing the games. However, later in the day, news articles began popping up about how Mattrick restated that the Xbox One would indeed need to have an online connection once every twenty-four hours. It wasn't clear what would happen if the Xbox One fails to detect an internet connection and while it may not seem as bad as how certain PC games have it currently, this is all a slippery slope. If the Xbox One is successful then it'll give Microsoft and other companies the go-ahead to implement harsher DRM in the future. This could lead to future consoles becoming always-online machines in the future which will blur the line between owning purchased software and just borrowing it from the publishers.

Fees for Used Games:
Another concern about the next Xbox was that used games would be unable playable on it. This ended up being true. Microsoft confirmed that in order to play used games the consumer would have to purchase the ability to install the game onto the hard drive. Microsoft confirmed that the price for a used game would be the same as its retail price. Taking a look at the 360's track record of lowering prices on their on demand service some games take up to two years to lower in price. This means if a game costs $30 dollars at Gamestop, it would cost an additional $60 or so to be able to activate it on your console. This model would definitely put a dent in sales in video game novelty stores such as Gamestop. While it's not yet sure how Gamestop will adjust to Microsoft's model for selling used games, it can be expected that consumers will not find it convenient to pay over retail price for a game that not only has been on sale for years but is also used. Gamestop might end up just ending all trade-ins of Xbox One games altogether.

The inconvenience will not end there. Imagine asking a friend to borrow a game. He gives it you and after you pay the $60 installation fee, you download it onto the hard drive. Your friend then calls you and complains that he can no longer play his game that he too bought for $60 at the store. After you're done, you give it back and your friend has no choice but to pay an additional $60 in order to install it back onto his Xbox One. It all, once again, displays a total mistrust and control of the consumer.

No removable hard drive:
The Xbox One is reported to have a 500GB hard drive but unfortunately it cannot be removed. Considering that every game must be installed in order to play, that hard drive is going to fill up quickly and the only other option is to connect an external USB hard drive dedicated solely to Xbox One games in order to expand the memory.

A Focus on Television:
The Xbox reveal event was a little more than an hour long and more than half of it was dedicated to how the console can also work as a television. The first thing shown was Yusuf Mehdi's attempt to showcase how well you could watch The Price is Right on the Xbox One. Later on, they revealed that a Halo television series is in the works. Not a new Halo game or even an expansion, but a tv show. They advertised a television program during a video game conference. Microsoft proved through their reveal conference that being a glorified DVR comes first before being considered a video game console.

Video Games on the Backburner:
I've come to expect Microsoft presenting anything but video games at their e3 conferences. They literally Ushered in a new age of gaming at last year's e3 conference. From pushing the whole television gimmick to showcasing nothing but EA sports games and the new Call of Duty: Ghosts (which is going to be multiplatform), the desire to create innovative, original, and compelling titles is not needed for the new console. Instead the consumers are getting annual franchises that have brought nothing new to the table for a decade. Microsoft did announce 15 exclusive titles coming to the Xbox One, but my concern is just how many of those will be Kinect titles. Just like this article states it; "Xbox One is the first games console for people who don't like games."

Kinect Focused:
Ever since e3 2009, Microsoft has had a goal of putting emphasis on Kinect games in every conference. Kinect has proven to either not work or the games never live up to expectations. Kinect should have been a dream come true for gamers yearning innovation but ended up being a broken mess and with every Xbox One coming package with a Kinect everything will based around it. Not saying that it will totally substitute a controller, but the always-on Kinect may cause some problems with the overall system. Even during the livestream of the conference, those people watching on their 360s would be cancelled out whenever the presenter would make commands using the Kinect. With broken technology being on the forefront of the new console, the Xbox One's future looks dull.

No Backwards Compatibility:
We should be used to no backwards compatibility by now as only the first batch of PS3 units could play PS2 games and only a select few Xbox games could be played on the 360. However, Microsoft takes it to a whole new level; not only can you not play 360 games, reports say that you won't even be able to transfer previously purchased Xbox Live Arcade games over to the new console. It's another tactic to get consumers to buy games that they already own except now they have an "HD Remake" sticker attached to it. It's a shame neither Sony or Microsoft has embraced Nintendo's view of backwards compatibility.

Aside from no gameplay being shown in the gameplay trailers, Call of Doggie, Sports galore, water coolers, the Xbox One is a frightening look into the future of the video game industry; a future where total control is taken away from the player and put into the company's hands just to ensure no dollars or cents will slip through the cracks. One can only hope, Microsoft considers these concerns travels down another path. A video game console should be just that; a console made for video games. Video game innovation should be the highlight of the conference, not tv shows. Give me the video games first and let everything else be icing on the cake, not the other way around.

Review: Bioshock Infinite

2013-05-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

Bioshock Infinite

for the PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Developed by Irrational Games
Published by 2K Games
Released March 26, 2013

Creating a rift in itself

The beauty of video games is that they are a type of media that encompasses all other forms of entertainment; literature, cinema, music. As long as it's interactive it's still considered a video game. People complain that visual novels like Katawa Shoujo or cinematic dramas such as Heavy Rain are not video games because they focus on literature or cinema rather than gameplay. I believe it's wrong to assume that a video game is good or bad based on how many cutscenes it has but rather how well it's able to engage the player in whatever it's trying to accomplish.

Bioshock Infinite is a game that plays with this idea that a video game can be something more than just gameplay by trying to bring the player a riveting narrative and engaging FPS action. Unfortunately, its achievement in presentation overshadows its effort in gameplay which leaves the game unbalanced.

From first entering Columbia to the mind-numbing finale, the game embeds your brain with beautiful imagery, symbolism, and narrative through its gorgeous graphics, stellar musical numbers, and believable voice-acting. Every line of dialogue and event appear to be carefully scripted and well thought out. Every character and their intertwining fates, the backstory and subplots, and every situation comes about in such a cinematically, methodical and beautiful manner that it's obvious that the developer's first priority was to tell a story as exploration is compromised for almost on-rail story-telling.

The main and most damning problem that Bioshock Infinite has stems from its methodical story-telling. As stated earlier, the story appears to be Irrational's first priority making the gameplay an obvious second. This becomes a problem for two reasons; with a story that's the main focus the gameplay becomes a glaring distraction, and the gameplay loses a ton of potential.

While the story may have some problems, it's evident that the developers put forth the time and effort to bring the player a thrilling cinematic experience and they succeeded. The player has a reason to continue, not because they want to shoot mindlessly at random enemies but because they want to continue the tale of Booker and Elizabeth. The problem here is that the gameplay is not thrilling enough to compete with the game's cinematic elements and therefore becomes a distraction. The same problem arose with Spec Ops: The Line where the bland third-person shooting felt like a hindrance in the wake of the narrative. While the gameplay of Bioshock Infinite definitely has a lot more depth than Spec Ops', it, nonetheless, becomes a hindrance as well. While vigor combinations and dimension-tearing are amusing for a bit it all starts to lose its shimmer when with every room comes a wave of the same enemies that can be killed with the same vigor/weapon combination. While experimenting with vigors, I found that Shock Jock and Possession are really the only ones needed. As far as the weapon choice goes, I found very little difference with each weapon or not preferring one over the other. The only reason I would switch a weapon was when I exhausted my ammo, then I would continue the assault the same as before.

All of this brings a lack of strategy among other things that really would have other-wised balanced out Infinite and made all of its parts shine. Picking up a certain weapon should bring about a sense in the player that they should switch up their style of gameplay to suit the gun or choose a gun based on the situation. All Infinite offered was a sniper rifle, the only different gun in the game. Every other gun from the pistol to the rocket launcher felt exactly the same albeit the blast radius and that was a problem. There were also other elements in Infinite that felt like they could have been expanded upon. Using sky-rails could been implemented better as they were only used as a way to progress the story or for a quick escape when a wave of enemies became too tough. I imagined entire fights above the skies on the rails, switching from one to the other, using melee and grapples, or electrocuting them through the metal with your vigors . . . but no, none of that.

The world of Columbia is such a strikingly beautiful place but as you play through the game it becomes apparent that all Columbia was meant to be was a setting. The game itself is very linear not just in a narrative sense but in a gameplay sense as well. There is no emphasis to explore the beautiful city and lacks the ability to backtrack and explore Columbia in spare time. I find it unforgivable, given this gorgeous world rich with lore, that an emphasis on exploration was not accentuated.

Infinite suffers from being a mindless shooter as the game is composed of wave after wave of enemies. There were a few tiny portions, and I mean tiny, that if expanded upon, could have really improved the gameplay. One was a stealth sequence in which an enemy would be on look out and if spotted, he would call a wave of creepy prisoners to attack you. It was a breath of fresh air to be able to use the environment as cover and sneak your way passed, or if you'd rather, just rush in and take them all head on. There were only two instances of this and they occurred near the end of the game. The other example of lost potential being the controlling of allies on the battlefield (I'm not talking about Possession and I can't say who you control exactly with the fear of giving away spoilers). Controlling an ally, only happens once, while was not the most thrilling, it was a change in gameplay that was another breath of fresh air. Infinite's problem comes down to a lack of variety.

With such a strong narrative, it's a shame that the gameplay, while not the most thrilling but by no means awful, disrupts the flow of the entire game and leaves the latest installment of the Bioshock series an unbalanced loss of potential. The narrative and presentation are so engaging that the gameplay, as fulfilling as it may be, becomes a distraction. Bioshock Infinite's brilliant story and mediocre gameplay leaves the game far from perfection but has enough substance to keep the majority of players entertained.

------------------------------------------------------

Gameplay 7/10:
-Simple FPS gameplay expanded slightly with the use of vigors. The gameplay is focused on simply defeating waves and waves enemies by using a balance of weapons and vigors to dispatch them. Unfortunately, I found strategy to be unnecessary when simply blasting away enemies with any weapon you have and spamming Shock Jock will get the job done about 90 percent of the time. Elizabeth also simplifies fights to the point where I had to stop using her assistance. As soon as you run out of ammo, health, or salts she will instantly replenish them. After accepting a few of these items from her, it will take her a few seconds before giving you anymore. There is literally a price to be paid every time you die. Upon death, you will lose a reasonable amount of money before the battle once again restarts (from where you ended off and with the enemies' health slightly restored). The only boss fight in the game is very dull and the final standoff left more to be desired. There is a small change-up during the final moments of the game where some stealth elements were implemented but only lasted for a few sequences leaving the player to return back to the monotonous gunfights.

Playability 9/10:
The game plays quite well with the only complaint being that turning is a bit slow especially when you need to get out of a top spot and running only works when moving forward.

Camera 10/10:
The camera really shines when trying to move the player through the narrative. It worked in a very cinematic way to focus on the narrative.

Fun 8/10:
The enjoyment stems from the desire to continue the story and exploring the world and is held back by the sometimes monotonous gameplay. Not to say the gameplay is bad, it's just not as in depth as the narrative.

Lasting Appeal 6/10:
Infinite is a good-sized game, taking your time it'll probably give you over 15 hours but after that the only thing to do is play a higher difficulty or try 1999 mode.

Graphics 10/10:
Stunning visuals that bring the bright and grim world of Columbia to life.

Sound 10/10:
Top-notch voice acting, musical score, and 1900's renditions of modern songs add to the brilliance of the presentation.

Difficulty 6/10:
Pretty constant but things like Elizabeth's aide and tears give the game unnecessary dips.

Flow 5/10:
The gameplay slows down the gameplay especially when the main focus of the game is the story.

RANK: B-

Glitch City: Tragedy in Motorville

2013-03-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Just as Oliver returned home from his adventures with Drippy, tragedy struck Motorville. A nine car pule-up devastated the small community. The wreckage could be seen all the way from the diner straight to the auto repair shop. Death toll unknown.

Rayman Legends Delay Spells Frustration For Wii U Owners

2013-02-08T00:20:00.000-08:00

The most upsetting piece of news, Thursday, came as not so much a shock to devoted Wii U owners but more like a slap to the face. Ubisoft announced that the much anticipated Wii U exclusive Rayman Legends would also be available on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The sequel to the critically acclaimed, surprise hit of 2011 would now garner a much more widespread audience; something fans of Rayman Origins had complained about since Ubisoft's initial announcement that Legends would be a Wii U exclusive. The shocker comes from the news that Legends would be delayed until September because of the title becoming multiplatform.

The February 7th announcement came just three weeks shy of the expected February 26th release date. Now, Wii U owners will have to wait an additional seven months to get their hands on the game. Rayman Legends was originally announced as a launch title for the Wii U back in November 18th but was delayed until the first quarter of 2013. The fans waited the extra three months only to be hit with the news that they must wait another seven.

Fans began questioning whether the delay for the Wii U version is necessary when the game was set to release in a couple of weeks. Was it because Legends wasn't yet ready or is it because they planned to make it a multiplat? Ubisoft then issued a statement:

“There are no issues with the game development. All of the information was in the press release, the only reason for the delay is to release on multiple platforms.”

“We usually release all of our platforms simultaneously (aside from PC). We’ve made special exception sometimes in the past but it’s definitely just on a case by case basis and not our standard practice.

“In this case, Ubisoft recently decided they wanted to release the game on multiple platforms so the decision was made to launch them all at the same time rather than separately.

“I know it’s not an elaborate, ‘convincing’ answer, but it’s the simple truth.” -Sarah Irvin, Ubisoft public relations specialist

It seemed clear that Wii U owners would have to wait longer for their game drought to end as the console has not had a major title release since launch. With the recent news of Tecmo making Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge go multiplatform as well, has been frustrating for Wii U owners and spells trouble for the console as a whole.

Within hours, Uplay's Miiverse community along with Twitter lit up with complaints of fans threatening to cancel their preorders due to the extended wait. Analysts suggest Nintendo should be worried about the console's future.

Rayman legends getting delayed and multiplatted is not a good sign for wii u.
— Arthur Gies (@aegies) February 7, 2013

Wii U owners can, however, look forward to Nintendo's plans for games when e3 rolls around along with the fact that Platinum Games' still has not yet made Bayonetta 2 a multiplatform game, but with the recent bits of news, anything may happen.

Ganondorf - The Fated King

2013-02-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

The Legend of Zelda series is filled to the brim with fantastical characters but there are none more important to the lore than the intertwining fates of three; Link, Zelda and Ganondorf. While Link and Zelda are different people in each installment, related only by ancestry, Ganondorf remains the same man, allowing for a metamorphosis of character through each game. While his alter ego Ganon, appears in a majority of Zelda games to date, Ganondorf has only appeared in three; Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. This is my analysis of the evolution of Ganondorf; from his ancient origin to his fallen fate, how the bandit king would be known as The King of Evil.

A Tragic Origin (Skyward Sword/Ocarina of Time) -

Ganondorf was born into the Gerudo tribe of female thieves and raised by a surrogate mother/witch, Twinrova to be their king. The Gerudos themselves are cruel and dangerous warriors and no doubt raised Ganondorf to replicate these very characteristics. It is assumed that, during the period when no male king is present, that Gerudos reproduce by using Hylian soldiers thus Ganondorf, along with many other Gerudos born around the same time, has Hylian blood in him.

The desire to take is a trait given to him by his Gerudo blood, but his desire for power is something engraved into his fate. At the end of Skyward Sword when Link defeats Demise, it is stated that an incarnation of him will follow the descendants of both Link and Zelda and torture the inhabitants of the land. This is an obvious reference to the constant threats of Ganon, however, it should not be assumed that only Link and Zelda's descendants were punished for the killing of Demise. There was another hero that had just as much to do with Demise's fall as the heroes.

If the conflict between Princess Zelda, Link and Ganondorf was turned into a high school play, it would be the rivalry between Link, Zelda and Groose. Each character is analogous to their Ocarina of Time counterparts. Groose being the rival of Link while still displaying a great amount of strength, cunning and motivation as seen in his helping of Link to defeat the Imprisoned. In fact, if it wasn't for Groose, Demise would have awakened much too early for the heroes to prepare. In Demise's eyes, Groose may as well be just as much responsible for his death.

It's not a coincidence why Groose plays such a vital part in Skyward Sword. With his darker skin, red hair, brute strength, and red jewel on his chest, a color representing Din (the goddess most recognized with the Gerudos), it could be that Groose is the beginning of the Gerudo line. Demise's plan is to also punish Groose's descendants by sacrificing one in particular to be the host of his evil spawn. Ganondorf is being punished by his ancestor's original sin, so to speak, and because of Ganondorf's actions, the entire Gerudo tribe is eradicated.

A Power-Hungry Fool (Ocarina of Time) -

The first chronological appearance of Ganondorf is in The Legend of Zelda's first venture into 3D. Ganondorf is the king of a tribe of desert bandits known as the Gerudo. Every one hundred years a male is born into the Gerudo tribe, which comprises nothing but female bandits, and becomes their king. After the Hyrulean Civil War, Ganondorf creates a relationship between the Hylians and the Gerudos. By gaining the trust of the King of Hyrule, he enters the Sacred Realm through the Temple of Time (previously opened by Young Link's possession of the Sacred Stones) and takes the Triforce of Power. Using his piece of the Triforce and his army of Gerudos, Ganondorf easily usurps the Kingdom of Hyrule. He remains in power for seven years until Link awakens to defeat Ganondorf and banish all evil from Hyrule.

Ganondorf, in OoT, has a very arrogant and intimidating disposition. He is young, strong, cunning, manipulative and knows he is destined for something great. He manipulates the trust of the King to find his way into the Temple of Time. He attacks the kingdom at full force, knowing that the army of Hyrule is still re-cooperating from the Civil War that took place a few years before. Through all this, Ganondorf still sees his successful overtaking as destiny rather than fate; a fate established ages before his birth.

Demise's resurrection is fulfilled when Ganondorf uses the power of the Triforce to transform himself into a monster of unimaginable power, Ganon. This would be the beginning of the reoccurring plague that Hyrule would have to endure for ages. However, even with his share of the Triforce, the might of Courage and Wisdom proved too much for Ganon thus Ganondorf became sealed in the Sacred Realm.

Like Demise before him, Ganondorf vowed revenge on Link and Zelda's descendants.

A Humbled King (Wind Waker) -

Ages after the events of Ocarina of Time, Ganon escapes the Sacred Realm and wreaks havoc on Hyrule but unfortunately, no hero came about this time, leaving the Sages to fend off the evil threat by flooding Hyrule and everything in it. The descendants of these Ancient Hylians took to the mountaintops (now islands) and began a new era. The history of the once great kingdom became nothing but a legend.

Ganondorf began to rebuild his troops in an attempt to find the other two pieces of the Triforce beneath the sea. A portal to Hyrule was opened where Ganondorf held both the Triforce of Power and Zelda's Wisdom. Link would battle Ganondorf in the sunken Hyrule Castle to prevent him from succeeding in completing the Triforce and gaining fearsome power.

Ganondorf in Wind Waker appears older than he had in OoT and also wiser. He carries himself much more regally and speaks in an eloquent and poetic manner rather than how brash his younger self spoke. Age has certainly granted Ganondorf experience but it also allowed him to see matters more sensibly. Whereas Ganondorf during the events of OoT seemed to be driven on blind hatred; Ganondorf in WW is driven by hatred stemming from deep cynicism.

Ganondorf has attempted twice to forge together the Triforce and both times he had been met with extreme punishment from the Sages. He formed a cynicism inside him not just at the Hylians, and not just at the Sages but at his own fate as well. He now realizes that he has no control of his fate; it was something that had been been bestowed upon him since birth. It is something that even death or imprisonment can not wash away.

"It can only be called fate. . . . That here. I would again gather the three with the crests."

When Ganondorf turns into Puppet Ganon, it's an obvious metaphor for the position he finds himself in. He's nothing but a puppet controlled by the remnants of Demise to fulfill a vengeful prophecy created ages ago. The only way Ganondorf knows how to break this curse and end his fate is to fulfill it. When the Triforce becomes whole he wishes to rule Hyrule, a forgotten and ancient land. If he was still the power-hungry fool he had once been, he would have wished to rule the entire world, to rule over the descendants of the Hylians residing above the waves, yet desires only to break the curse. Ganondorf even states that he has no desire to kill Link or Zelda, he just wants to take the Triforce. In this manner, he chose to rule an empty, forgotten land in spite of his fate.

After Ganondorf has a sincere moment, speaking to Link about the fate of his people and his own intentions, he headed for the Triforce to make his wish at last. The King of Hyrule, however, took the Triforce for himself and wished that Hyrule would be sealed away forever along with the evil Ganondorf. He couldn't do anything but laugh and sought instead to end his cursed brethren by his own blade instead. He failed to fulfill his fate for a third time. Ganondorf, in turn, laughed quietly to himself as he was freed from his fate.

An Unrealized Destiny (Twilight Princess) -

After Ganon was defeated, Princess Zelda sent the Hero of Time back to relive his childhood. When Young Link met the young Zelda, he warned her of what Ganondorf had planned to do which confirmed her own suspicions. Zelda informed the King, which led to a Hylian invasion of the Gerudo Desert and the capture of the Gerudo King. The Hylian army desecrated the Gerudo's holy Spirit Temple and modified it into a makeshift prison to house all of the desert thieves and dubbed it The Arbiter's Grounds.

The Sages had planned to execute Ganondorf by sword, however, the Triforce of Power awakened inside of him allowing him to break free and kill the Water Sage. In a fit of desperation, the remaining Sages imprisoned Ganondorf in the Twilight Realm.

After one hundred years in the Twilight Realm, Ganondorf, convinces Zant, who had been refused the Twili throne by Midna, to take over the light world and usurp the Kingdom of Hyrule. With the castle in his possession, Ganondorf now had the means of making the Triforce whole and realizing his true fate.

It should be noted that in this timeline, Ganondorf never transformed into Ganon. He was captured before his armies even stepped foot in Hyrule. In fact, Ganondorf and his people were imprisoned merely on the words of two children. Ganondorf is just as arrogant and cunning as he was in OoT as he never had the humbling experience that his WW self had. Fueled by the pent up desire to rule Hyrule and his true power still chained inside, Ganondorf became even more disobedient and short-sighted. He planned to lie, cheat and steal his way to the Hylian throne.

Ganondorf finally realizes the extent of his power by unleashing Ganon but like his OoT self, he is slain by Link. Perhaps showing a little more reserve than his OoT self, he opts to battle Link in a sword fight in his Gerudo form. After being defeated, Ganondorf echoes the words of not just himself in OoT but by his master, Demise, by saying Link and Zelda's descendants will be plagued with his presence. However, much like his WW self, he dies instead of being imprisoned leaving the inhabitants of Hyrule to never fear a return of the Gerudo King again; his dying words never to be realized.

From this timeline, Ganondorf is never seen again but Ganon is reincarnated hundreds of years later during the events of Four Swords Adventures. Ganondorf died a fool with a heart full of vengeance never to be quenched. He was perhaps blessed with the naivety of believing he was in control of his fate. He died never realizing the role he played in a legend much bigger than himself.

An Undying Evil (A Link to the Past/Legend of Zelda/Adventure of Link) -
In a timeline where Ganon defeats the Hero of Time, Ganondorf fulfills his fate given to him by Demise. Transformed into Ganon, he returns time and time again to wreak havoc on Hyrule. Ganondorf, the Gerudo King, would be forgotten through time and the King of Evil, Ganon, would take his place in the winds of the declining kingdom for the rest of time.

Glitch City: The End of The End of the World

2013-01-25T21:25:00.000-08:00

In the first edition of Glitch City, where I take games and I break them to find the delicious glitches that rest inside; I decided to take a look at a glitch I happened to stumble upon without any prior knowledge of it. There's a way to leave the Destiny Islands portion of End of the World and have Sora walk on sky and water alike! Not only can you take a look at what's behind Destiny Islands but you can also bury Goofy's stupid face in the sand.

Here's how you do it:

Beat the game. The glitch is in the Destiny Islands portion of End of the World where you fight the first round of the final boss battles.
As soon as Haley Joel Osment says "Is this, is this my island?" run directly behind you and jump onto the wooden shack. Going near the shore (or was it the hidden cove?) will trigger a cutscene.
On the wooden shack, go to the far right corner of the roof and start jumping around.
Eventually, you should have landed Sora on an invisible platform.
Spam the jump button and watch as Sora crab walks to the heavens!
Keep jumping until you're above the trees then head towards them. This insures that you will not fall back into the game's boundaries.
You are now free to traverse the empty world of Destiny Islands. Not much to do really but mess around behind the island and to see how far away from the island you can get.

It's definitely a neat little trick to do and just proves I played this game too much when I was 10. I mean look at how high I got Donald's magic . . . seriously?

The Games That Will Make 2013 Awesome

2013-01-25T21:06:00.000-08:00

January:
Anarchy Reigns
The long awaited sequel to the fantastically bloody Wii title, Mad World, hits consoles and promises to be even more bloody, more violent, more colorful, more multiplayer, and less waggly.

The Cave
While they're finding ways to spend all 3.3 millions dollars on their Kickstarter adventure game, Double Fine teamed up with Sega to release a puzzle/platformer called The Cave. If it's anything like their previous titles, it should be just as charming and humorous.

Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch
I absolutely love anything that Studio Ghibli churns out. So when I heard that they teamed up with Level 5, creators of the Professor Layton series, to make an RPG with an original story AND a definite North American release date, I nearly entered a comatose state just imagining getting my hands on a game that's dedicated to gameplay just as much as telling a great tale.

February:
Fire Emblem: Awakening
The Fire Emblem series enters Nintendo's newest generation with the apparent return of Marth. Also you'll get to kill undead soldiers as Marth . . . in 3D!

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

While playing Metal Gear Solid 4, I thought how cool it would be to play a fast-paced action game starring cyborg Raiden. Then Hideo Kojima unveiled Metal Gear Solid: Rising that would have you play as Raiden and would bridge together the events of MGS2 and MGS4. Then nothing. And more nothing. Then it was revealed that the game had actually been canceled! But luckily for us, the fine folks at Platinum Games took up the reigns of the development process and thus the oddly named Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was born. The game now looks to take the over-the-top hack n' slash route and while its place in MGS canon is still debatable it looks to be a hell of a lot more CRAZY than that dumb DmC reboot.

Rayman Legends

Rayman Origins was a surprise hit for me back in 2011. Ubisoft made a cooperative multiplayer platformer that is actually enjoyable unlike those hacks at Nintendo with their New Super Mario Bros. games. The Wii U exclusive not only looks to bring more of that glorious platform but gamepad elements that actually look fun. A lot more than those Nintendo hacks can pull off. PFFT!

March:
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
I have no idea why it took Nintendo twelve entire years to make a sequel to this game but they have finally come to their senses and continued the tale of Luigi's real estate escapades. There will also be an odd multiplayer addition which means 4 times the Luigi!

South Park: The Stick of Truth
I find South Park to be a pretty great show so for me hearing that Obsidian is joining forces with Matt Stone and Trey Parker to make an RPG was pretty similar to me finding out about Ni No Kuni except replace beauty and magic with Crab People and Jew jokes. Although the death of THQ and the game's acquisition by Ubisoft hopefully will not disrupt its release.

TBD:
Pokemon X & Y

Remember back playing Pokemon Red/Blue and thinking to yourself "Wouldn't it would be neat if they made an awesome 3D Pokemon game?" Well, our childhood dreams have come true with the latest Pokemon generation and it might actually get me to play a Pokemon game since Gold/Silver came out. I might even be willing to endure all the stupid new Pokemon designs that they've unimaginatively mustered up.

Killer Is Dead
WOAH! It's like it's No More Heroes, mixed with Killer 7, mixed with a little Shadows of the Damned. Basically, it's everything that defines Suda 51's style wrapped up into one thrilling looking title.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf
When I played Animal Crossing for the Gamecube, I was devoted to that game. I did everything; I collected all the bugs, caught all the fish, paid off my home, designed the coolest shirts, and pitfalled the most annoying neighbors. I haven't played an Animal Crossing game since then on the count of me not being able to find enough time. So with New Leaf being released on the 3DS, I felt it would allow me to dedicate a ton of time with the game as I could take it anywhere.

Bayonetta 2
With all the butthurt that surrounded Platinum Games' reveal that Bayonetta 2 would be a Wii U exclusive, it's not going to just be about playing a climaxing sequel; it's also going to be fun watching everybody boycotting and hating a game that they can't even play.

Grand Theft Auto V
My favorite GTA game is San Andreas due to the huge map that allowed for maximum exploration, something I enjoy doing more than the actual missions. GTAV brings the game back to Los Santos with Rockstar promising a map bigger than the worlds of GTAIV, San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption combined.

Pikmin 3
How great would it feel to play a Pikmin game with a touch screen, being able to point where your Pikmin will be thrown; RTS style. Thanks to Nintendo, we'll soon be able to realize that feeling.

The Wonderful 101

The Wii U drought ends with Platinum Games' interesting puzzle/brawler that has you control 101 super heroes that form together to create different objects like a sword or a ladder. Also the main character looks and sounds an awful lot like Viewtiful Joe, perhaps a throwback to Platinum's original gig as Clover Studios.

Review: ZombiU

2013-01-23T12:44:00.002-08:00

ZombiU

Platform: Wii U
Developer: Ubisoft Montepellier
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: November 18, 2012

Dead Potential

I never thought much about ZombiU prior to the launch of the Wii U. It just seemed like another generic Zombie "survival/horror" FPS except with fancy Wii U controls. In fact, I hadn't even bothered to play the game until a month after launch. At first I thought it was due to me being preoccupied with other Wii U games like New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land. Looking back now, what kept me hesitant was that I saw a lot of Red Steel, Ubisoft's launch title for the Wii, in the release of ZombiU.

When the Wii launched in 2006, Ubisoft's Red Steel released alongside it with a promise to display how motion controls could be properly used for the budding system. Instead we were shown a mediocre game that emphasized the problems that would overshadow the path of motion controls for the rest of the generation. Now, with the newest generation beginning, I saw a repeat of Ubisoft's promise with the release of ZombiU, except this time I am surprised to say I am wrong . . . for the most part.

ZombiU does two things right; it showcases how the Wii U gamepad can be used in a creative and efficient manner, and how a survival/horror is meant to played. When Nintendo first showcased the gamepad, an entire world of possibilities opened up about how it could be used to enhance the gaming experience. This idea ran wild in fans' minds up until the first batch of titles released and it became instantly obvious that developers had no intention of expanding creativity in the industry with the gamepad; rather they opted instead to use the controller as handheld map an options scroller.

Then comes ZombiU; Ubisoft's vow to Nintendo that they can show the consumers how the gamepad can be used properly with ingenuity. ZombiU succeeds in giving the player a multitude of ways to use the gamepad in order to survive the hoards of zombies waiting around every corner. If the player wants to check the inventory to equip a weapon or item, the player must turn their focus away from the action on the big screen and onto the gamepad leaving the survivor vulnerable to a zombie attack. If a player finds a locked door, the player must perform certain actions on the gamepad that, once again, deter the player's view away from the screen. The use of the gamepad emphasizes patience, strategy, and discretion instead of a guns-blazing, leave-no-prisons mindset that so many modern "survival/horror" games rely upon for some reason.

With how well Ubisoft implented the gamepad controls and created a survival/horror game worthy of the genre's name, it's a shame that the overall game is quite mediocre. Underneath all these creative mechanics, a very plain and run-of-the-mill zombie game lies. The story is predictable and almost transparent, while the missions follow the same formula of "get from point A to point B and back to point A" throughout the entire game. If it wasn't for the constant fear of death lingering around every corner and the necessity of using strategic gameplay, ZombiU would have absolutely nothing else going for it.

ZombiU only works because it is a Wii U game but unfortunately the mechanics can only take the game so far. The core of the game feels so bland and rushed to the point where it becomes a glaring flaw in an otherwise potential and smart title. If you have a Wii U this is a definite must-have title in the midst of a drought of content especially for someone craving a challenge. If you are wondering whether or not to buy a Wii U to play ZombiU; ZombiU is not a game that can carry the console until the next batch of titles hits the console. So basically, ZombiU is a must buy merely on the fact that the Wii U has very few first party titles that use the gamepad to a certain extent and when more promising looking titles hit the market ZombiU will be set aside and forgotten.

------------------------------------
Statistics

Gameplay:
8/10
The clever use of the Wii U gamepad offers the player strategy, depth and immersion lost in many modern survival/horror games. With this said, the fact that underneath the mechanics lies a soulless zombie cash-in cannot be ignored.

Playability:
10/10
Switching weapons with the touch of a finger feels smooth while controlling the survivors is as responsive as any other FPS on the market.

Camera:
10/10
There are a ton of clever uses of the camera; using the gyroscope and the screen to look for hidden objects, its position on the survivor character while you search through your backpack to give you a view of any creeping zombies coming to ambush you.

Fun:
6/10
The Wii U gamepad mechanics are what give the player the motivation to continue with the game. The elements of difficulty and survival add to the appeal but the variety of game-breaking bugs and unnecessary loading doors drop the fun factor sharply. In my playthrough I ran into about five glitches that made me reload a save file and, on one occasion, even create a new save file altogether.

Lasting Appeal:
4/10
The game is short and after that there isn't much to do afterwards except try your hand at Survival Mode which has the player go through the game with one survivor and if that survivor dies, the player must restart the game from the beginning.

Graphics:
3/10:
This is not a pretty game. With abysmally bland textures and mediocre character models, this game negates Nintendo's initial claim that the Wii U is graphically more powerful than current-gen systems with visuals that seem to come straight out of 2007.

Difficulty:
10/10
It's a breath of fresh air to see a game dedicate itself to being a true survivor/horror game. During your missions, you'll find that ammo is scarce, your health runs out fast, and you will find yourself trapped at any moment. On death, the new survivor must go out and kill the previous survivor's zombie self and retrieve all of their precious weapons and recovery items. Be aware if you die without retrieving these items, they will be lost forever. ZombiU urges the player to consider their options and plan ahead and even goes as far as to suggest retreating as an appropriate option if the going gets tough.

Sound:
5/10:
The piano based score is forgettable as is the voice acting. It's the little sound effects such as footsteps, a gun blast, rain drops, and zombie moans that take the player for a ride.

Flow
5/10:
While a neat concept, dying and having to start back at the hideout as a new character halts the flow of the game as you backtrack all the way back to where you last died, retrieve your items and finally continue on with the mission. Sometimes dying during a mission will end it, leaving the next survivor character to reap the rewards and continue on.

RANK: C

Review: New Super Mario Bros. U

2012-12-27T21:37:00.000-08:00

New Super Mario Bros. U

Wii U
November 18, 2012

"Same Old Mario Bros. U"

When the New Super Mario Bros. series debuted nearly eight years ago, Nintendo promised a classic and nostalgic look back at Mario's 2D platforming roots. The first installment was received with great praise and sales; Nintendo's focus on nostalgia for its advertising worked and rightfully so. The series offered classic sidescrolling gameplay with new power-ups and modern mechanics (such as the triple jump) and melded it all into a formula that worked.

With every installment that followed, the nostalgia moniker began to fade while the implementation of innovative ideas remained at a near stand still; New Super Mario Bros. Wii offered four player cooperation and New Super Mario Bros. 2 gave the player the ground breaking opportunity to gather as many coins as possible. While it did offer a lot more than 2 had, New Super Mario Bros. U left me with a desire for something more. Much more.

Nintendo's key launch game for the Wii U, Mario U's biggest innovation is the utilization of the Wii U gamepad not for controlling Mario or any of the other players but for creating platforms and halting enemies for your friends who are actually having fun playing the game. It's a neat idea if there are five people around that want to get in on some 2D Mario action but I cannot fathom why anybody would want to play in Boost Mode for any other reason than to just "check out how it is." Boost Mode can also be used to help you out with all your speed running needs but good luck convincing your friend to sit down and waste time just so he could poke the gamepad to make useless platforms that you probably won't even use anyway because none of the levels are designed with Boost Mode in mind.

The core game revolves around a gripping tale of woe, loss, and redemption where Mario and friends cross fire, ice, and valley to overcome not just the hellfire Bowser inflicts but the doubts and darkness within the heroes' heart themselves. JUST KIDDING! It's about rescuing stupid Peach again but this time everything looks like Super Mario World!

Actually the aesthetics in the game are really gorgeous. The art style of the backgrounds show off the theme of a modern Super Mario World that the developers intended to achieve. The levels, Accorn Plains and The Painted Swampland in particular, display a potential in creativity that I hoped to see throughout every aspect of the game. Unfortunately, everything in the foreground and all of the character models look just like they were ripped out from the Mario Wii and glazed over with a shinier finish.

Despite all of my complaints, Mario U does give the player a solid platformer. The final levels are tough especially if you're trying for a 3 star coin run (which is the only true way to play the game) and call for some quick thinking and tricky jumping. I replayed Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World before getting my hands on Mario U and found the difficulty to be on par and at times even harder than those Nintendo classics.

New Super Mario Bros. U stays true to the Mario formula, perhaps too true. The strategic platforming and nostalgic homages are held down by static innovation and it's apparent need to play it safe. If you've never played a New Super Mario Bros. game is definitely worth a buy as it is, without a doubt, the best in the series but if you're looking for a unique experience that truly builds upon the classic side-scrolling foundation then you best take your hopes and dreams elsewhere because Mario U is just the same old Mario game you've been playing for eight years.

-----------------------------------------

Statistics:

Gameplay:
7/10
Reused mechanics and virtually nothing new brought to the table. The core Mario game remains solid.

Playability:
10/10
Feels just as great as it it always had. Wiimote waggling to spin jump has been put to a trigger input.

Camera:
10/10
Great panning in and out for visual emphasis and stays with the character throughout.

Fun:
8/10
Questionable cooperative play and reused gameplay mechanics but otherwise a joyful platform experience.

Lasting Appeal:
10/10
Plenty of extras collectibles to gain, secrets to discover, and new modes other than the single player to sink your teeth into.

Graphics:
7.5/10
The graphics look that they were copy-and-pasted straight from the Wii. The backgrounds are the only sign of artistic and graphical power. The HD makes the game look more colorful and vibrant.

Difficulty:
10/10
The beginning world is very Baby Mode easy but the final few levels see it that you discover what true hell is.

Sound:
5/10
The memorable chimes and jingles are dragged down with uninspired tunes and awkward Mario vocals.

Flow:
10/10
The game won't halt or stop you on your way kick Bowser's butt.

RANK: B

Feature: The Musicians

2012-09-11T14:31:00.001-07:00

I want to take the time to celebrate the musicians of the video game industry; the composers who give video games life and their unique vibe. I present to you three of the most predominant musical figures in the video game universe.

Yoko Shimomura

Yoko is best known for her work at Squaresoft later Square-Enix but she has composed for many game companies including Capcom and Nintendo. Yoko is known for being able to capture both epic and cheery happy-go-lucky moments in JRPGs. And this Yoko totally didn't break up the most important band in history.

Forest Maze from Super Mario RPG [1996, Super Nintendo]

One of her earlier and most notable pieces is the Forest Maze from Super Mario RPG. It plays while Mario and his friends are searching through a forest full of enemies. It's a simple and catchy song which is why it is the most remembered from Super Mario RPG. There were other musical gems in the game, but Forest Maze is the what comes to mind when thinking of SMRPG music.

Night on Bald Mountain from Kingdom Hearts [2002, PS2]

This piece is a great example of her talent. Taking Modest Mossorgsky's classical Night on Bald Mountain and giving it her own take of it. This song plays while fighting Chernabog [that crazy demon looking thing that destroys a poor village at the end of Fantasia]. This is one of the more unique songs in the game but it still sounds like Yoko.

Sinister Sundown from Kingdom Hearts II [2006, PS2]

Now this song is very representative of the Kingdom Hearts series. It is whimsical yet dramatic. Dark yet childish. Sinister Sundown plays as a battle theme in the beginning of the game. You start as a young boy, Roxas, who finds some sinister creatures are causing mischief in his home. These creatures, you learn, are causing havoc and destruction in worlds afar. This song very much suits these battles.

Battle Against The Dark Star from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story [2009, DS]

This is an example of Yoko taking something as simple as Bowser battling his evil impostor and making it sound way too epic for its own good. Classic Yoko. It sounds fantastic but in context with the game's cartoony style, it just doesn't fit but stands as a magnificent piece in itself.

David Wise

Wise is known for his ambient influenced very 'groove-able' themes for the Donkey Kong Country series. For the most part he composes for Rare and Nintendo, having given them the zany music you might find in Diddy Kong Racing or the cool and relaxing tunes of Donkey Kong Country. There's no way of knowing how many of his songs have been covered and uploaded to Youtube. I would bet that he is the most covered video game musician out there.

Jungle Hijynx from Donkey Kong Country [1994, SNES]

Even if you aren't familiar with his name [or not too keen on video games for that matter], odds are you've come across this tune. This song plays on the first level of Donkey Kong Country and acts like its theme throughout. The song shows a bit of how ambiance is used in his songs but the key element here is his use of percussion which stays dominant throughout most of his DKC songs.

Mining Melancholy from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest [1995, SNES]

This is definitely my favorite David Wise tune. The sound of what appears to be hammers slamming against mine cart rails flows with the rhythm of the song so well. The atmoshere that this song sends to the player is trance inducing. I have to admit, the first time I heard this song, I just let DK and Diddy idle for a bit while I took it all in.

Stilt Village from Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! [2005, GBA]

This song wasn't including in the original DKC3 on the SNES. The original Stilt Village sounded way more campy. In 2005, it was changed to this gem. I would love to know why Wise decided to change the music for the level but whatever reason, it was a great idea. I love this song.

Koji Kondo

His name may not be as recognizable as his music but I'll bet that I could go to anyone walking down the road and they'll know his work. Kondo is the man behind some of the most famous tunes in video game history, including the Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda themes. That should be enough to make him the most respected man in video game music but Kondo has quite the resume of ear pleasing songs that span his entire career.

Underground from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island [1995, SNES]

People often forget that Yoshi's Island is actually the sequel to Super Mario World. It is a solid game with music on par with the original. I don't know if it's the twinkling affect or the just the overall composition that sets the song apart from the rest in Yoshi's Island. Anything Yoshi related in the Mario universe has a certain sound to it (whether it be added bongos or drums in general) and I believe this is the most well composed one.

Space Storm/Boo Moon from Super Mario Galaxy 2 [2010, Wii]

With the help of some friends and a live orchestra, Kondo helped bring Super Mario Galaxy 2 to life through music. Most of the songs are whimsical but this song is rough and tough. Kind of like most of the parts of the game. Hey, not all of the levels in SMG2 can be fluffy and fun. This song reminds me that I spent hours of pain staking platforming and perfectly timed jumps to get passed each level. The great music helped me from throwing the control out the window at times. (Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic game).

These are only 3 of the many talented musicians creating works of art for every video game being developed. Music is just as important as the graphics or gameplay and without it, some games would just feel incomplete. Here's to all the video game musicians out there who continue to caress my eardrum with angelic melodies! I plan to highlight even more musicians in the coming weeks.

Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns

2012-08-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

Donkey Kong Country Returns

Developed by Retro Studios

Published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo Wii

Released November 21st, 2010

Vintage difficulty replicated at its finest:

After 15 years, the world finally returns to Donkey Kong Country. Back in the 90's, Rare created one of the most influential and widely remembered video games with Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo. The DKC games would go down as the defining series of the 90's in the minds of most gamers. Three generations later, Nintendo along with Retro Studios decided to try and bring Donkey Kong and his fans back to the glory days. While Donkey Kong Country Returns may not feel like the Donkey Kong Country 4 fans had hoped for, it does bring a solid platforming experience all unto its own.

DKCR begins with an erupting volcano releasing an evil group of creatures known as the Tiki Tak Tribe. The Tikis use a serene melody to hypnotize the animals of DK Isle and force them to steal away Donkey Kong's hoard of bananas. DK and Diddy, immune to the Tikis hypnotic power, set off to rid the island of the Tikis and restore DK's precious bananas. Unfortunately, both King K.Rool and the Kremlins are absent from this story which is an omission that definitely lowers the nostalgic value. While the Tikis do bring some character to the game, it just doesn't feel the same.

When looking for the nostalgia factor, it'd be wise to open your ears. The music is a blast of nostalgic bliss. The songs are remixed versions of mostly DKC1 songs. Remixes of old classics such as Jungle Hyjinx and Minecart Carnage sound great while the remix of Forest Frenzy with its arrangement of instruments actually sounds better than the original. It really is a shame that David Wise wasn't on board for the game but the title seems to hold up well with both classic and original tunes. I'd bet that Wise would be extremely satisfied with the renditions made to his masterpieces. When it comes to the sound effects, the new grunts that DK makes sound awkward while Diddy sounds too whiny, although it's not like you'll be paying attention to the sounds the monkeys make after those beautiful melodies hit your ears.

While failing to bring forth any nostalgic emotions as the music was able to do, the graphics are beautiful. The graphics have that cartoony look that only Nintendo can achieve. The silhouette levels, that take place during a setting sun and portray DK, Diddy, and the entire foreground in black with the exception of the glowing red of DK's tie and Diddy's hat, look absolutely stunning. It once again proves how Nintendo can compensate graphical power for pure creativity. The jungles and oceans in the background are vibrant and feel just as alive as everything else in the game. In my opinion, it would have been neat if they focused on old-school pre-rendered background visuals that the first three games achieved so well. The visuals remind me nothing of the first DKCs but they are still pleasing to the eye.

The controls take a while to get used to. There are two ways to play; with a nunchuck or with a sideways Wiimote. The nunchuck feels more appropriate as there is no way of getting out of shaking the controller in order to roll. With the sideways Wiimote, you'll just end up pressing 1 in hopes of rolling only to run right into an enemy or off a cliff not to mention how awkward it feels. The implementing of motion controls in this area seems very unnecessary. If Nintendo wanted to achieve the nostalgic feel that they had hoped for then they should have incorporated the use of the Classic Controller. I guess I just have it programmed in my mind to press B to roll, not to waggle a stick around.

New to the series are climbing on grass-covered walls and blowing wind. Blowing wind (holding down and shaking the Wiimote) is an unnecessary addition to the game as it just feels weird to slow down the flow of the game in order to blow a dandelion or a candle to get a puzzle piece. Climbing on walls is simple and adds a lot to the gameplay as it is pulled off so well. Looking back at the older games, I wish they would have implemented this technique back then. Ground pounding with the motion controls seems more appropriate and feels really satisfying flailing your arms as DK smashes down a stone block.

Multiplayer allows both DK and Diddy to play together simultaneously. If one player gets lost behind, he will teleport back to the other player. If one player dies, he can either press a button and come back to life immediately at the cost of a balloon or he can wait until the other person grabs a barrel and releases him. When riding Rambi or controlling a barrel, both players have the option to control so it comes down to either losing control and dying or to allow one player to sit back and watch.

It's a shame that Diddy cannot be played in single player. In single player, Diddy helps out by giving DK two extra hearts and by using his signature jet-pack to stay afloat for a short period of time. In multiplayer, player 2 takes control of Diddy. Diddy is a blast to play as. He's quick and nimble when he needs to be and not only can he use his jet-pack but he can also use his peanut shooter while ground pounding. It really is unfortunate that the game does not allow you to switch between the two in single player just like the good ol' days

Those who shun the Wii for its plethora of casual games be warned; this game is tough! The difficulty isn't a result of bad controls or poor game design, it's sheer ruthless gameplay that tries incredibly hard to prove that the player is no match to the games superior level design. You'll be surprised how many times you'll go to Cranky Kong to replenish your stock of life-giving balloons. You'll be needing them more than you'd ever imagine. Beating the game is tough enough, but achieving 100% (including collecting all of the K-O-N-G letters and puzzle pieces) is a true challenge. The levels are designed brilliantly to provoke split-second thinking and strategy. Despite no familiar faces like Gnawty the beaver, the bosses are unique and require more than just the normal 3-Hit-Pattern to stop these beasts in their tracks. DKCR is a great throwback to the old SNES games that took you many days, many tantrums, and many headaches to beat.

In the end, Donkey Kong Country Returns doesn't rely on bringing the players back to the SNES days but instead gives us a brand new adventure with familiar faces that is of the same caliber as the first three games of the series. DKCR gives us a must-have experience tied together with tightly woven platforming along with cheerful graphics and groovin' music. If you want a game that will really put your gaming skills to the test look no further than Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Fun: 4/5

Playability: 3/5

Camera: 3/3

Lasting Appeal: 3/3

Graphics: 2/2

Sound: 2/2

Difficulty: 2/2

Variety: 1/1

Flow: 1/1

RANK: A-

Random: My Favorite SFM Movies

2012-08-18T00:17:00.000-07:00

The V Files: L is Real 2401

2012-08-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

On the first post of the V Files, which takes video games myths, legends, and lore and analyzes them, I've decided to go with one of the most famous (or infamous) legends of video games. The L is Real 2041 legend.

In Super Mario 64, there is a courtyard which contains a small fountain or pond. In the pond is a statue much like the one you see to the left. It's in the shape of a star with scribbled words below it. Fans everywhere have created such a ruckus over these words that in turn created a mystery and legend almost as big as the game itself (Well, maybe not THAT big.)

Many people who played the game didn't even notice the texture. Others thought it just read "Eternal Star" referring to the final obtainable star in the game. But then, there were the few that took it to a whole new level. They claimed that the awkward spacing of the letters couldn't possibly spell out the word "eternal" and the "star" looked more like a number.

They claimed it to read "L is Real 2401"

But what does this mean? L is universally understood to refer to Luigi, who does not appear in Super Mario 64. Hopefuls everywhere took it that the cryptic message was proof that Luigi could be playable in Super Mario 64 . . . or perhaps in another game altogether.

Could Mario's green clad brother be behind this mystery? All theories point to Luigi being the subject. In fact there was a picture [below] in Nintendo Power that showed Luigi standing right behind Mario just outside of Princess Peach's Castle. Although it turned out to be a badly Photoshopped hoax, it nonetheless fueled the flames of Luigi's existence in the classic 64 title.

Here are a few possible explanations that fans have come up with to explain the odd text:

Luigi will appear in the game after 2,401 coins are collected.
This theory was debunked quickly as many gamers who have collected every single coin in the entire game still come up a couple hundred coins short of 2,401.

The text refers to Luigi's appearance in Paper Mario

Luigi appears in Paper Mario which released on the Nintendo 64 about five years after the release of Super Mario 64. People claim that the 2401 refers to the date that Paper Mario released which they claim is February 4th, 2001. There are a few things wrong with this explanation, however. First is the length of time between SM64 and PM. It is highly unlikely that Nintendo planned a whole generation ahead for a single game let alone boast about the appearance of a secondary character. Second, Luigi appeared in many other games such as Mario Kart 64 and Super Smash Bros. before the release of Paper Mario. And finally, Paper Mario was released on February 5th not the 4th.

Others

Many people have put various Latin lettering, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese characters to fill in the markings of the plaque but the only things that do fit are in fact "Eternal Star" and "L is Real 2401" Not much has been determined about the scribbles below the legendary text as it is much too blurred to make any real claim about it.

Most Logical Conclusion:

The blurry text on the plaque may be nothing at all just referential images to take the

place of words, much like the lettering on every other sign in the game. If anything the

programmers just tried to make the blur spell out "Eternal Star". People just made it into much

more than it was supposed to be allowing Nintendo to run with it and put it again Ocarina of

Time to further increase interest. Oh, Nintendo, you so curazey.

Game Booster: Greased Lightning

2012-08-17T00:56:00.000-07:00

Here's an explanation on how I beat Green Hill Act 1 on Sonic Generations in under 1 minute. Beating this level in under 1 minute satisfies the Greased Lighting Achievement/Trophy. The video depicts me playing on the PC version, and while I can confirm this method works on the 360 version as well, I have not played the PS3 version so I can only assume that it's exactly the same (why wouldn't it be?). The video also lags a lot so beware of that too. This is a sure-fire way of beating the level in under a minute. There are certainly other ways that you can experiment with but this one is just to get you passed the goal in the necessary time.

Awards:

-Greased Lightning Achievement/Trophy (10G/Bronze)

The Method:
-As soon as the level begins, hold the spin dash (instant - X on 360, Square on PS3, A on PC) for half a second or so and let go. Keep going until Sonic stops and when he does, spin dash again until you hit a ramp. (Note: If Sonic continues to roll in a ball even after losing speed, simply jump and as soon as you land spin dash to the ramp.)

-Run forward until you get to the middle of the rosebush in the background. When you do, jump while still holding forward. You'll hit the Crabmeat, and if done right you'll continue on to hit another Crabmeat and then a Buzz Bomber until you finally end up on the high-ground. (Note: while bouncing on the enemies make sure to hold forward)

-When you land from hitting the Buzz Bomber, spin dash through the loop, and get ejected by the spring. When you land from the spring, Spin dash again into another spring that will bounce you off onto another stretch of land.

-As soon as you land, Spin dash but as soon as you hit the Check Point, jump, and with you momentum you should land and higher patch of land. Keeping the momentum, jump again and you should make it to a bridge. (Note: the grassy area and the edge of the bridge will collapse if you do not hurry causing you pursue the lower and much more slower route)

-Spin dash from the bridge and in one boost you should be able to make it through a spiral and roll into a tunnel slide (which boosts your speed once again)

-After the tunnel slide, you will be launched onto a crumbling grassy platform. As soon as you land jump onto the next platform, and then jump onto the yellow spring which will send you up to a wooden bridge.

-Spin dash here and you will be launched in the air. You should automatically hit a Buzz Bomber and land safely onto ledge where you will continue through a loop and spiral down a small rocky peak.

-As soon as you hit the check point, Spin Dash and you'll end up rolling into a series of springs that will eject you upward. It's very important that you land and the tiny area of land before the Buzz Bomber, so try to slow down your speed in the air to adjust your fall. From this area, jump on the Buzz Bomber and bounce off of it and onto a spring that will send you up onto a grassy stretch of land.

- As soon as you land, Spin dash then jump and you'll be propelled through the air onto piece of land, hit the spring and you'll end up safe ground again. (Note: This is the trickiest part of the level. If the you jump too soon or too late after the Spin Dash, you'll end up falling down into the slower route costing you precious time.)

-When you land, Spin Dash through two loops. Right after the second loop, Spin Dash through the spiral. As soon as the spiral ends, Spin Dash again and make it through the goal!

Random: This is why DMC is going to suck.

2012-08-12T17:29:00.002-07:00

Here goes Capcom ruining another franchise yet again, let's see why DMC is going to break more hearts of dedicated fans:

An in-depth look at the dumbed-down gameplay:

Apparently hitting something 3 times is worth an SSS rank (and half of the boss' health)

That's a smirk worth a punch or two.

CRAAAAWWWWWLLLIIIINNNNNNG IIIIINNNN MYYY SKIIIIIIIIIIINNNN!!!!!!

Dante, Original Character, DO NOT STEAL

DMC is a joke, step-up Capcom

Feature: Joining the PC Master Race

2012-08-12T00:28:00.000-07:00

So after many years of hearing how gaming on the PC is beyond comparison to consoles and how the "true" version of every game released is the PC version, my roommate and I decided to invest our time and money into making a rig capable of putting our years of console gaming to shame.

We had a budget of about 1,000 dollars to use on whatever we needed for our PC. But when came to anything PC, we were illiterate. So basically we had 1,000 bucks and no idea on how to use it, what we needed to buy, or what would make the best combination of parts to create a great gaming rig for considering our budget. We both spent a week doing research. We looked up countless websites that gave in-depth descriptions of each major component and what they do. We asked a bunch of forums on their opinions of the best set-up and we looked each brand, type, and compatibility of each part. After much search we decided on this set-up:

CPU:

Intel Core i5-3570 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637i53570

Price: 214.99

RAM:

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B

Price: 53.99

Motherboard:

ASUS P8Z68-M Pro LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Price: 119.99

Hard Drive:

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Price: 89.99

Video Card:

EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Price: 219.99

Case:

APEX PC-389-C Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Price: 16.99

Power Supply:

OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom

Price: 74.99

Monitor:

Hanns-G HL229DPB Black 21.5" 5ms Widescreen LED Monitor 250 cd/m2 Active Contrast 30,000,000:1 (1000:1) Built-in Speakers

Price: 129.99

We bought all of the parts from Newegg.com and considering shipping, promotion codes, and sales, the whole deal came out to about 920 dollars. Other things such as a keyboard, mouse, a desk, and Windows 7 will be acquired once the equipment actually arrives.

After a few days of eager anticipation, we finally received the parts in the mail! We immediately opened up the boxes, reluctantly refused to play with the packing peanuts, and began assembling the PC. We followed this guy's method in putting it together. It was all very easy although we did get stuck on a few stupid parts like how we couldn't fit the video card into the motherboard (we tried and we tried and on one random attempt it fit. We still don't know what we did differently.)

After booting our not so genuine copy of Windows 7 Ultimate , I installed the motherboard and graphics card programs, connected to the internet and everything was ready to go. I imported my Steam account from my laptop (gaming on a laptop, I know) and installed a few of my games. Half-Life was the first game I tried out. Not exactly the most appropriate game to test out the graphical power of our new machine, but it did prove that it ran perfectly compared to playing the laggy and glitchy version on my laptop.

I would eventually download Team Fortress 2 and Just Cause 2, and I was amazed at how fluid and gorgeous everything played and looked. Sonic Generations blurred by in a beautiful haste just as older games such as Fallout played flawlessly. I now believe what everyone said about how consoles hold back the graphical potential of the industry. I also downloaded a bunch of emulators including Dolphin which plays Gamecube and Wii games in 1080 HD. I have to say that playing Wind Waker in beautiful HD is breathtaking.

The PC is definitely an investment worth making if you're serious about video games. Each port I played looked much better than its 360/PS3 counterparts and while a keyboard isn't always the greatest when it comes to control, there are many different styles of usb controllers out there to fit your needs. With a console, you are limited to what the companies offer, but with a PC there are no limitations; play anything, mod anything, do anything. I see myself devoting a ton of time with this machine, so here's to a glorious two years of high-end performance.

My Vision: WWE All-Stars

2012-08-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

WWE All-Stars

Developed by THQ San Diego

Published by THQ

for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, PSP, Playstation 2

Released March 29th, 2011

In the first edition of My Vision, I take the over the top WWE game and turn it into something that I, as a wrestling fan, would have been proud of. WWE All-Stars began as a step in the right direction. It gave fans the ability to pit current superstars and legends against each other in a digital squared circle. It brought the fans an almost cartoonish, larger than life interpretation of the WWE programming that we knew and loved as children. It also brought back the retro gameplay and health meters featured in wrestling games of the past. It should have been the greatest video game tribute to the WWE ever released but in the end it didn't quite meet up with the hype.

What Went Wrong?:

So, why didn't this game meet my expectations. All of the factors were there that would have made All-Stars an absolute blast; only if they were fleshed out a bit more. There were a limited number of matches to perform in, a boring and unnecessarily long story mode, and most importantly repetitive and sometimes awkward gameplay. I should have loved All-Stars but instead I'm constantly thinking of how I would have made the game much much better not only for myself but for any wrestling fan.

The Graphics:

I loved the action figure like, anatomically defying muscular character models of All-Stars. Aside from the poorly detailed fans, what I didn't like were some of their animations. Why would Kane show of his physique by doing push ups on his downed opponent? Or why would Jake Roberts, or The Undertaker do it for that matter. It's like they gave everyone a set of victory poses and didn't think of the superstars that would be performing them. I would have had unique and signature victory poses; Randy Orton heading to the top rope with his arms spread out, Undertaker doing his signature darkness kneel, Hulk Hogan trying to listen to the fans cheer him on as if he were deaf.

Seriously, why don't any of the wrestlers have unique victory poses!? I'm baffled by this.

It would be a nice touch if they had included numerous different titantrons. For example, they could have Edge's current titantron depicting him as the Rated R superstar but also a titantron showing him with Edge and Christian from the past or even one of the Brood. Of course, this would really only apply to the Superstars as some of the Legends didn't even have titantrons.

Alternate costumes. There should have been way more alternate costumes than what is offered in the game (most of which being palette swaps of their main attire.) I loved how they had unmasked Kane and old masked Kane but how about more. How about half masked Kane or the first Kane with one arm exposed. How awesome would it be to have a black and white Hollywood Hogan alt costume. Just take every important persona the wrestlers went through and put them in the game. My eyes are watering from the pure excitement of seeing The Ringmaster Stone Cold and the American Badass Undertaker (with customary bike entrance).

Now for the arenas. The number of playable arenas in All-Stars is simply pitiful. If you're going for over the top, cram as many venues as possible. Get all of the versions of the Raw and Smackdown! arenas, as many notable PPV venues such as Summerslam, Royal Rumble, or Survivor Series (at least), and every Wrestlemania arena to date. Hey, maybe even throw in Nitro or Bash at the Beach (or even the Hammerstein Ballroom of ECW fame). Now that's thinking of the fans.

Damage wear on the wrestlers and the ring itself would be an awesome touch as well.

Sound:

Much like the titantrons, why can't we have various versions of each wrestlers theme music. How about including both of John Cena's theme songs "My Time is Now" and "Basic Thuganomics." Or maybe Triple H's "Blue Blood" and "My Time" instead of just "The Game."

Now I understand that you can't get all of the actual wrestlers to play themselves but at least make them all sound different when they're being given a submission. They could even hire people to play late legends such as Andre the Giant or even use archived sounds.

Gameplay:

I would keep most of the wrestling intact. I would maybe increase the room for reversals (not by much). It may also make the matches more intense if a player that has no more health left to be able to recover up to one full bar over time. This would make the gameplay more varied instead of the simple signature, signature, reversal, signature, finisher that plagues almost every match.

Story mode is a mess. Story mode consists of ten matches where you end up fighting either Randy Orton, The Undertaker, or DX. It's awesome how after every few matches they show a cutscene of the respective "final boss" giving a speech about how your journey to the WWE Championship (or tag championship) is futile. Unfortunately, the "journey" takes forever with too many uninspired matches that are either rushed single matches or triple threat matches. There's rarely a cage match thrown in. Instead of the whole fighting for the belt idea, I thought it would be best to take each superstar and go through their career. They would have a set matches, against set opponents, and then face a designated final opponent. Taking Rey Mysterio for example, the first match could be a singles match from his days in the AAA (or a no DQ match in the ECW if there is some legal issues). This would take him to high flying matches against Eddie Guerrero in the WCW, all the way up to his triple threat match at Wrestlemania 22 against Randy Orton and Kurt Angle where he won the World Heavyweight Championship. After each match there would be live action clips of his career that would introduce each match to come. Or how about the Heartbreak Kid with his first match in the late 80's to him winning the WWE title against Bret Hart to his final match against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 26. It would bring a much needed boost of fan service to a game that is in designed for it.

It would be a nice touch to be able to reverse Finishers if the opponent has a Finisher ready to go. Each special would have its own unique animation (Such as Stone Cold catching Shawn Michael's leg from the Sweet Chin Music and spinning him around for the Stone Cold Stunner.)

And for God's sake, more damn matches. I want ladder matches, table matches, TLC matches, Hell in the Cell matches, Iron Man matches, Bra and Panties matches (if we would actually add some Divas), Elimination Chambers, Royal Rumble, First Blood matches, Casket matches, inferno matches, buried alive matches, ambulance matches, I Quit matches, Last Man Standing matches, hardcore matches. COME ON GET WITH THE PROGRAM THQ!!!!!!

I would keep the Dream Matches just add more wrestlers than the small amount that is present in the actual game.

I have so many ideas for All-Stars. I absolutely love wrestling and I have the greatest respect for all of the performers who put their bodies on the line when they enter the ring. To me wrestling is a physical art form that cannot be mimicked. It's like a live action comic book with larger than life human beings playing the roles of villains and heroes in (sometimes) exquisite story lines. There's a reason why I've been a fan of wrestling non-stop for 13 years. The performances, the music, the writing, the characters, and the atmosphere are combined in such a way that I have yet to find a media form that can match its electrifying feel that the WWE and other wrestling promotions have given their fans for generations. Alas, my dreams for the perfect wrestling game stay within my head (unless THQ or the WWE wanted to hire me then I would be more than happy to quit whatever McJob I have and go work for Vinnie Mac.)

Review: Sonic Colors (Wii)

2012-07-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

Sonic Colors

Developed by Sonic Team
Published by Sega
for the Wii
Released November 16th, 2010

Reaching for the Stars:

When it comes to the Sonic franchise, speed means everything. The reason why the Genesis games were so revered was because it gave gamers a sense of speed never felt before. When converting from its 2D origin into 3D, this vital element was lost among all the new gameplay gimmicks implemented, cheesy character additions, and try-hard story-telling. Now, in Sonic's odyssey through space, he has finally regained what was lost to him almost a decade ago. Sonic Colors revives the long dead franchise and sends it in a glorious new direction that devoted fans will appreciate and admire.

If you take the best parts of Sonic Unleashed, fine-tune them, and add a bunch of colorful alien abilities then you'll end up with Sonic Colors. When you begin the first level, you'll instantly gain a sense of haste, something that Sonic Team has attempted to find for over a decade. The capability to boost by collecting Wisp bubbles adds even more agility to the already supersonic experience. Not only did they find that perfect level of heart-pounding speed, they created a game that flows incredibly well and has enough variety in its Wisp abilities to never allow room for a dull moment.

In every level, Sonic has the option to use different Wisp abilities that alter the gameplay dramatically. Amidst the thrilling rush of each level, Sonic will be able to shoot faster than light with the White Wisp's Laser, burrow underground with the Orange Wisp's Drill, and shoot up to the stars with the Red Wisp's Rocket, among many others. With each new Wisp unlocked, the game offers more and more ways to blaze passed a level. Although, the game is painfully short (you'll beat it in under 5 hours), Sonic Colors offers a stunning amount of replay value. You'll spend hours going through each world again and again trying to figure out the right Wisp combination in order to obtain the five hidden red rings or to achieve S rank.

There were a few controlling quirks that had me thinking they could have done a better job with the control scheme. There are forced sections in certain levels that has Sonic running straight forward making the player move him left or right to avoid enemies or objects. They designated the analog stick for this maneuver but because you'll already be holding the stick up to run, it makes dashing right and left a little tricky as Sonic will either refuse to move or will move twice in one direction. Another forced section has you braking while turning in order to drift. This actually feels great it's just a shame that you aren't able to do this any time you'd like. Drifting would have really come in handy during some sections that don't designate it. The option to use the Gamecube controller along with the Classic controller gives some leeway to players who aren't comfortable with the default Wiimote controls.

Even boss levels in Colors give the player a sense of speed as Sonic is must chase after warping Space Ships and take them out with homing attacks or Wisp abilities. The bosses, although entertaining, are interesting at first but they begin to feel rehashed and overused. There are three different boss styles that are slightly altered to be played in all six major worlds. It would have felt more complete if each world had a boss unique to every planet. I won't gripe too much about it as the final boss more than makes up for this flaw and instantly made the list for one of my favorite boss battles of all time.

Sonic Colors gives longtime fans of the Blue Blur a charming story full of humor and spot-on voice acting. With beautiful, vibrant and (needless to say) colorful environments that perfectly blends with the high levels of breakneck camera blur mixed with another amazing soundtrack, this installment gives everybody a reason to love Sonic once again. Sonic Colors plays like a Sonic game should; fast-paced, intuitive, and exhilarating.

Graphics: 2/2

Sound: 2/2

Playability: 5/5

Lasting Appeal: 2/3

Fun: 4/5

RANK: B+

Review: Sonic Colors (DS)

2012-07-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Full Review:

Sonic Colors

Developed by Sonic Team & Dimps

Published by Sega

for the Nintendo DS

Released November 16th, 2010

Sonic's Truest Colors:

Like his life long mustachioed rival before him, Sonic takes it to the stars and gives Sonic fans something new and unique with Sonic Colors. Everyone's favorite (or most tolerated) hedgehog has had some trouble reliving the glory days of the past by either attempting to rekindle the elements of his 16-bit era (Sonic 4, Sonic Advance) or by taking him out of his element all together and putting him in a type of game that's simply weird or unnecessary (Sonic Riders, Sonic and the Black Knight). Fortunately for gamers everywhere, Sonic Colors breaks the streak of awful Sonic games by combining high speed platforming with innovative game design to create Sonics greatest adventure since the good ol' Genesis days.

Let's get the story out of the way first since I know that absolutely no one plays a Sonic game for its ever so intuitive story telling. Dr. Robotnik, being the generous psycho-genius he is, decides to create an intergalactic amusement park to make up for all of his past sins. Sonic and Tails, suspicious of their arch nemesis, check into the matter only to find out that, sure enough, old Ivo is stealing energy from a group of aliens called Whisps in order to create a mind control device. Sonic, along with the help of the Whisps, must now stop Dr. Robotnik and put an end to his treacherous amusement park for good.

The Whisps give Sonic plenty of new power maneuvers to utilize on his journey, which sounds a bit off putting to old school Sonic fans but actually offer an absolutely fun experience. Of course, it wouldn't be a Sonic game without the mindless speeding and dashing through miles of exotic levels and spin homing badniks to pieces and trust me, there's plenty of it. The main game plays like a charm with only minor physics errors such as air dashing when you mean to jump and vice versa.

After every world or so you gain the powers of new Whisps such as boosting, rocket blasting, fire booming, drilling, etc. By gathering energy from enemies or trapped Whisps, Sonic can boost with Y or transform into any of the other colored powers with X. The game greatly utilizes these powers by making the player perform certain energy maneuvers in order to complete a level (although some levels give the player the option of using the moves or just speeding to the finish.) Whether you're fire booming your enemies to oblivion, boosting at top speed through the level, or drilling the boss badnik to death, it's a fun experience that adds a lot to Sonic's worn out gameplay.

Of course, we can't forget about the classic special Chaos Emerald stages. In these special stages, Sonic runs through a half-pipe (very reminiscent of Sonic 2) as you try collecting as many colored orbs as possible before Sonic makes it to the finish. Colors utilizes the stylus in these stages which is a blast aside from the occasional stylus-to-screen lag. The biggest problem I have with the Chaos Emerald stages is that they are way too easy. In most other Sonic games, it would be unlikely to complete your first run of the game with all seven chaos emeralds, but Colors is an unfortunate exception as it is rather unlikely that you won't be snatching the emeralds before the end.

The main game itself is incredibly easy and can actually be completed in literally, one sitting. I would mark it down for this grueling flaw except that Colors offers so much replay value you'll be spending hours and hours trying to get S ranks on every level, finding secrets in each level with the new powers you obtain, collecting all of the star emblems, and finding all of the hidden unlockables. Not to mention just trying to complete a few of the games many side missions will have you shaking your DS violently for hours. I suppose it's a better idea to have these time attacks, enemy & Whisp hunts, and ring collecting missions not mandatory. They're challenging; which is nice but I just wonder to myself why the actually game is humiliatingly easy while the missions create sudden difficulty spikes.

The one thing I hate about every Sonic game is the hedgehog's voice. It's just too damn annoying. I thought I had all I could take with his whiny, high pitched voice in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. When I booted the game up and prepared myself for the opening dialogue, I prepared for the worst. I was shocked to find out that I wasn't annoyed at all with his voice. Sega actually found a guy (Roger Craig Smith) who could provide a voice to Sonic I can actually listen to. In fact, all of the voice actors do a pretty good job and that's a definite plus in my book.

The music itself is corny. I'm not too fond of the opening track or much of the music but there were a few tunes that seemed melodiously out of place which had me tapping my foot. The sound effects are the best part, though. The booming blasts, the crackling fires, and the awesome "Burn!" or "Rocket!" screams Sonic makes before transforming are, dare I say, cool.

The graphics are gorgeous, vibrant, and colorful. The backgrounds are beautiful as are their animations. Everything seems to jump off the screen. The replacement of sprites with 3D character models are a pleasant surprise. It works very well. The biggest problem with the visuals is the use of the duel screen gameplay. Both screens are used to play; with Sonic switching between both during certain areas of each level. Sometimes, my eyes follow Sonic like magic and swiftly switch between screens (which feels awesome) but other times my eyes stay on one screen while Sonic speeds far into the other. It's a small annoyance that can cost you all of your collected rings.

Sonic Colors offers gamers a Sonic experience like no other. The new gameplay offers so much that it will make you wish the actual game was more than five hours long. Colors not only gives Sonic fans the okay to wear their Sonic shirts and backpacks with pride again, but it also reminds gamers everywhere how great Sonic was and potentially can be.

Graphics: 2/2

Sound: 1/2

Controls: 5/5

Lasting Appeal: 2/3

Fun: 5/5

RANK: B

Review: Sonic the Hedgehog

2012-07-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

Full Review:
Sonic the Hedgehog

"Can't Go Fast"

Developed by Sonic Team
Published by Sega
for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Released on November 14, 2006

If there is one franchise that had such an incredibly dramatic fall from grace, it would be Sonic the Hedgehog. From his glorious days spinning around on the Genesis to his iconic Adventures on the Dreamcast, Sonic had never been stopped dead in his tracks until this atrocity was brought into existence. This game, to put it simply, is bad. Nearly everything about it is either broken, not fun, or doesn't work. To properly dissect the problem that is Sonic 2006, we're going to have to analyze the major mechanics that plague the Blue Blur's first run in the seventh generation.

Sonic 2006 plays like a broken down version of Sonic Adventure. The Adventure games were in no way perfect but they were far from broken. The first time playing through Sonic Adventure was fun despite losing its luster over time. The first time playing Sonic 2006 was not fun and will, without a doubt, become worse with time. The game constantly switches off between seven members of the cast along with the annoying and horribly portrayed newcomer, Silver the Hedgehog. With seven different characters comes seven different ways of playing the game, unfortunately none of them work as well as anybody would hope.

Now don't quote me on this but I'm going to make a bold assumption that Sonic levels are meant to be fast. I suppose the Sonic Team didn't get the hint after fifteen years that slow and steady doesn't win the race in a Sonic game. With this game, you lack any sense of control. When speeding through an area or dashing on a wall, one slight flick of the control stick and you'll run right of the ledge. Despite having the natural urge to run at super sonic speeds, the only way to ensure you'll stay alive is to take your time. There are rushing sections where Sonic runs straight forward and it's up to the player to move him around and jump when necessary much like the special stages in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. However, unlike Sonic 2, the controls are frustrating. Sonic's movements are so sensitive, one tap of the analog changes Sonic's angle much more than anticipated and Sonic runs faster than you can fix a mistake. If Sonic runs into a wall he loses his rings but will still flail forward at the same speed only to get hit again and lose a life. This creates a major difficulty spike where all of your lives can be lost if you do not use the utmost precision.

The Knuckles and Rouge levels are slow which means better platforming, unfortunately they don't offer much else to the gameplay. Tails levels are both slow and control awkwardly. You're able to fly around but it's next to impossible to control Tails while he's in the air as he'll move so sporadically that platforming becomes an imprecise mess. To top it off he can only stay in the air for a couple of seconds before becoming tired and falling, usually to his doom. Amy offers a very unnecessary stealth feature by going invisible, undetectable by enemies. It's too bad that defeating the enemies will take you much longer with Amy's Piko hammer than it would with any other character. Blaze plays just like Sonic except with the homing attack replaced with a much less accurate spinning attack that will certainly send you careening off a level.

Shadow's levels are the most interesting in that it brings the most variety to the table, the only problem with it is that it's all too redundant. Shadow plays just as Sonic does except that Shadow can kill enemies, that require multiple attacks to defeat, in one swift combo. Interspersed between running phases you will be forced to ride in vehicles that accomplishes two things for the game ; to slow down the flow of the game and to waste time. Shadow's infamous motorcycle returns and gives him the ability to move at the exact same pace except now he has the ability to shoot bullets which will rid the enemies in the same amount of time as his homing attacks do. The buggy is only required once, every other time it is useless and a much better idea to just continue the level on foot. The glider and hovercraft could have been scrapped from the game altogether. The scenes that they are required are short, slow, and require no skill.

Silver is the most tolerable of all the characters. He is slow so you can focus on platforming much more, especially with his ability to hover making accidental falls less frequent. Silver can use his psychokinesis to make objects in the environment move, such as a log hanging from a tree can be used as a pendulum to either propel Silver forward or to break massive objects in his way. He can also take a hold of crates and rockets and send them flying at enemies. Taking control of these objects is easy, it's throwing them that's the problem. You'll often find yourself flinging the item off a cliff or throwing it at an entirely different enemy due to the absence of a lock-on system. Later on in the game you will learn how to stun enemies allowing you to kill them in a single hit. Of course, in a game full of halting flaws, Silver's gameplay is no different. Silver has these sort of cup & ball mini phases which stops the flow of a level so you can spend twenty minutes trying to "psyho-slap" a giant ball across an area without having the ball fall down a wrong hole. You also have a limited number of hits to get the ball in the hole, although I'm not entirely sure if it's based on hits, time, or both because the timer on the balls seem to just count down whenever they feel like it. I couldn't fathom how they could take the best levels in the game and put such a time waster that absolutely ruins the pace of the level. Even when the pace is slow to begin with, they somehow found a way to slow the game down to a comatose state.

Every other Sonic game has a good understanding on how to keep up a good pace; slow when required, fast every other time. Each of these drastically different styles of gameplay were always separate, allowing you to prepare for a change of pace. Sonic 2006 has a nasty habit of stopping the game right in the middle of all the action and forces the game to slow things down. You'll be rolling around at the speed of sound as Sonic, going through bumpers and getting zippers, and without a moments notice you become Tails and everything that seemed decent with the world suddenly falls apart. That's honestly how I would describe it.

The level design is far from clever. Every level is straight forward with only a few, if any, different routes to take to reach the goal. Some require no thought at all; just a few platform jumps, some killing of enemies and presto, you're at the goal. Although, there are three different stories you can play through, it only means that you will be playing through each level three times with only a few minor differences. I would have accepted maybe the same levels with different routes or areas, but no they are the exact same thing in each story. It just seems lazy on the developer's part.

The camera, unsurprisingly, is sporadic, uncontrollable, and will cause you death any chance it gets. The first thing I noticed about the camera is that it wasn't inverted. I prefer my camera controls inverted so I scrolled through each of the menus but there was no such option. NO OPTION FOR CONTROLS! Not even to invert the camera. That is just simply inconsiderate. I was legitimately offended by the developer's gross lack of consideration. So, I'm forced to trudge through the entire game getting use to the camera controls, losing countless rings in blind effort. The camera also has a mind of its own. It will focus solely on bosses leaving you entirely out of the picture. You'll be moving, trying to avoid attacks just to fall off the edge because you had no idea where you were. The camera will also follow a quick moving boss. The camera will change so quickly that your character will instantly change directions and fall off the stage. But that's not all, the camera will also get stuck behind walls, zoom in and out rapidly, and sometimes even go black. Yeah, the game will go blind and you will die.

Speaking of bosses, they're not good either. Besides the horrible camera, Bosses tend to either drag on too long or be excessively difficult. Bosses should never have infinites but Silver does. If you're in the wrong place, he will grab you, throw you, then before you can get back up and get some rings, grab you again, throw you again, and kill you. The bosses cause difficulty spikes not based on your skill but broken game mechanics.

Reminiscent of Sonic Adventure, the city of Soleanna acts as a hub world between every level. In Soleanna, there are extra missions to be completed and items to be bought. The citizens of Soleanna stand around doing nothing all day except to give Sonic and his friends useless info or mundane tasks to complete. All of the mini-games consist of jumping through loops or beating a certain number of enemies. There really is nothing else to do in the city besides waste time. One mini-game had me talk to man who said that one soldier knows how to access a certain area and he told me to beware that two other soldiers who will tell lies. After going on and on, the mission started but I accidently pressed the conversation button on the same guy and the mission ended. Apparently he was the liar and knew the whereabouts of the secret area. I got an S Rank. It's this moronic level of dispassion that caused them to add redundant side attractions to an already deteriorating game. Had the items needed to complete the game were hidden within the stages, the hub worlds could have been scrapped entirely. Instead we are forced to wade through uneventful and dull side missions.

If it wasn't enough to have broken game mechanics, the game itself is buggy and contains many game killing glitches. I've experienced enemies that will sink through the floors making it impossible to kill them. This would be excusable except it ONLY seems to happen when defeating every enemy in the room is vital to level progression. I end up having to start from the last check point thus losing a life. Beware also that the game will kill you if it feels like it. When battling a boss, I hit its weak point and flew back to safe ground in the usual Sonic fashion. However, instead of landing in the field, I landed on top of a search tower. Instead of allowing me to fall back down to the field, the game decided to fade to black and start me back over with one life missing and a boss that was back at full health. It's important to stay cautious when playing this game and always expect a game breaking glitch to occur at any moment.

Not only is the gameplay a total loss but the graphics are not up to par. Even though this game was one of the first of its generation it doesn't cover up the fact that this game looks like a bad Sonic Adventure texture mod. The textures are bland, the models are choppy, animations are over exaggerated, and the levels appear unfinished. The most unforgiving of all aspects is that there is pop-up. Yes, pop-up in a game made for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. I also found the art style unappealing. Sonic Team tried to go for a realistic look with the townspeople and the city which is in direct conflict to the cartoony and vibrant look of Sonic and his friends. Even Dr. Eggman lost his animated look to a more realistic (and horrifying) take. I know that graphics aren't everything but after trekking through a level, it would have been nice to see some decent looking visuals as some sort of pitiful reward.

The only positive thing that's possible to say about this atrocity is that the soundtrack is phenomenal. I can confidently say that music was the only aspect that kept my interest afloat. In my opinion, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 has a perfect soundtrack. Each stage had two or three versions of a song that had me constantly wondering how such musical talent could have been wasted on such an awful game. Composers, Senoue and Ohtani, definitely deserve to have their work portrayed in a game much more befitting of their talents.

With long loading times, a very short story mode, flawed mechanics, atrocious voice acting, and awful visuals, Sonic the Hedgehog proved to be the point of absolute zero for the Sonic franchise and a shining example of how not to make a video game. At this point, it's up to Sega to take this blemish, learn from their mistakes, and work their hardest to make Sonic the Hedgehog a credible name in gaming once again.

RANK: F

Fun: 2/5
Playability: 2/5
Lasting Appeal: 1/3
Graphics: 0/2
Sound: 2/2

Review: Catherine

2012-07-03T00:28:00.000-07:00

Catherine

Mental Blockage

Developed by Atlus Persona Team
Published by Atlus
for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Released July 26, 2011

Finding a solid puzzle game interspersed with an intriguing tale of lost love is about as likely as finding an FPS with a decent story. But alas, here we have Catherine, a game that blends puzzle-solving with a story about redemption of the heart. Oh, and there are also giant zombie metal babies with chainsaws that spit machine-gun fire.

The main story of Catherine is separated by the night and day activities of Vincent Brooks, a 32-year-old man who just can't seem to commit to his long time girlfriend, Katherine. After news hits about a bunch of males in the city who are mysteriously dying in their sleep, he meets a young blonde seductress named Catherine and begins having terrible nightmares involving sheep and a constant struggle for freedom. During the days and evenings, you control Vincent as he socializes with his friends at the Stray Sheep, a bar frequented by the locals. The bar scene is where you'll be able to take in a lot of the story by talking to the bar attendees and helping them out with their problems. You will also be able to play an arcade game, listen to music, learn about alcoholic trivia, and get drunk. It's an ironic and much needed moment of solace and relief after experiencing the horrific terrors of the night.

At the core of Catherine is a well-tuned puzzle game. At night, Vincent suffers from nightmares that consist of him escaping sets of hellish traps without falling to his doom. The goal of each stage is to reach the top of a mountain of blocks by pulling, pushing, or removing certain blocks in order to make a pathway to get yourself closer to the end. You don't have all the time in the world, however, you must analyze your situation quickly before the series of blocks below you fall away with you on them. There are many different types of blocks and traps that can hinder your progress such as ice blocks, that will make Vincent slide to his death, and Spike traps, which will obliterate Vincent if he stands on them for too long. The ability to reverse the moves that you made makes it easier to get yourself out of impossible situations that you may have accidentally created. Each puzzle is unique and makes you think critically and hastily about the path you take to reach the goal.

As addicting as the puzzle-solving is, it is indeed challenging, mostly for the right reasons. At the end of each nightmare awaits a boss puzzle where a frightening gargantuan abomination from Vincent's psyche will do everything in its power to hinder your climb (and brown your underwear). These include but are not limited to, removing vital blocks, severely altering the puzzle, or just outright killing you. I did find that when these bosses move around the stage, the camera will zoom in, out, or completely block your view. Unfortunately, moving Vincent around can also be a bit of a nightmare. The controls are very touchy. I found myself trying to move to one block but then ending up going passed it and dying on a spike trap. Hanging from blocks also proved difficult. If you hang and move from behind the puzzle the controls are supposed to be reversed but I found that there is just no order to the controls. Going left will make me go right, but as soon I turn a corner of a block, the same motion does the exact opposite. I've wasted vital time in cycles of moving back and forth on a block trying to figure just how to control Vincent before I end up reversing a move or falling to my death.

The fun of Catherine is nowhere near done after your first run-through. For being a story-driven puzzler, it has a surprising amount of replay value. There are multiple endings that could be achieved by the moral choices you made during the story and whether you favor freedom, commitment, or indifference either way. Babel mode allows you to replay each of the puzzles solo or cooperatively. The Colosseum is a competitive mode that pits two local players against each other in a series of puzzles. If you hate being rushed in the puzzles in the game, you can play Repunzel, a side-game found in Stray Sheep that lets you figure out a series of puzzles without the fear of running out of time. Although online play would have been a great addition, there is still a hell of a lot to do with the Catherine.

The music of Catherine consists of jazzy little numbers that are played during your time in Stray Sheep. While lounging you can use the jukebox to listen to different songs you've unlocked throughout the game which will also consist of songs from other Atlus games such as Persona. During the nightmares, each area is accompanied with modern renditions of classic songs from Beethoven among others which sound great and add a sense of urgency to each stage.

With each cutscene, you become more and more acquainted with each character. I was absolutely blown away by how well the voice acting was in this game especially with Vincent and his voice actor Troy Baker. The professional level of voice acting adds to the story and strengthens the connection between the player and Vincent and allowed me to connect with his many conundrums.

The graphics are absolutely gorgeous. The character models are portrayed in perfect cel-shaded animation that resemble the animated cutscenes that occur here and there. Although as beautiful as the anime scenes are, the entire game could have gone without it and still look just as beautiful. The nightmare chambers look dangerously morbid and bathed in darkness while the Stray Sheep looks calm and relaxing. It's a balanced portrayal of night and day as seen through Vincent's eyes.

I know I've underplayed the horror aspect of the game but I'll go ahead and say now that it truly is a terrifying experience with the combination of grim areas, horrifying bosses, and the overall sense of haste. Catherine is an odd game in that it attempted to be a dating sim, a survival/horror, and a puzzle game. The weird thing is that it succeeded. But it really all comes down to whether or not you like puzzle games. If you can take bombardments of mind-bending puzzle-solving after puzzle-solving with the occasional control issue then this game is for you. Everything else included is just icing on the cake.

RANK: B

Fun: 4/5
Lasting Appeal: 3/3
Controls: 3/5
Graphics: 2/2
Sound: 2/2

Review: L.A. Noire

2012-06-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Full Review:

L.A. Noire

"Leaping technological boundaries."

Developed by Team Bondi

Published by Rockstar Games

for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Released May 17th, 2011

After a 15 year run of developing and publishing exceptional video games that take us to crime infested cities, terrain, and even schools, Rockstar puts us in the role of the law and takes us to the dark and corrupt setting of 1940's Los Angeles. Not only does L.A. Noire offer a unique style of detective gameplay and gunplay, it also brings an interrogation arrangement seldom pulled off right in modern games. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of L.A. Noire are the realistic facial expressions pulled off by the cutting edge Motion Scan technology. However, it all comes down to whether or not these mechanics are defined well enough to create a great gaming experience.

L.A. Noire tells the tale of World War II veteran, Cole Phelps, as he works up the ranks as a detective in the LAPD. In order to do so, the player must use a mixture of gunplay, detective work, chasing, and interrogating in order to solve every case and earn promotions (going from patrol to traffic to homicide, etc). All of these gameplay mechanics are blended perfectly as to not overly exhaust the fun out of one or another. So, hardcore players need not worry about spending hours just looking for clues as there is a fair share of gunfights to satisfy (or maybe pacify).

The biggest gripe I had with the gameplay was how much the game holds your hand throughout the cases. In car chases, if the car is too far ahead, it will actually slow down until you catch up to it, then the bandit will speed up. While searching for clues, there will always be text telling you that you should turn a watch a certain way to see a name engraved or press A to look behind a picture frame to read a message. The ability to skip action sequences and use intuition points (the ability to show where all hidden clues are on the map) would have been enough hand holding but changing A.I. to lower the difficulty is unnecessary.

The gunplay is taken straight from Red Dead Redemption (same engine, no duh). The biggest difference is that you cannot collect and upgrade your weapon. Rather you start off with a pistol and can pick up a variety of weapons that enemies drop. The player cannot, however, keep these weapons and use them on the next case. That's the major problem with the depth of the gunplay; it seems as if it only touches on the shooting and quickly switches to something else. The dodging, aiming and firing, however, are just as you remembered in Red Dead Redemption.

The clue collecting is straight forward; search an alleyway or a home, and walk Cole until you hear a chime to signify a clue is nearby. Pick up the clue and see how it will aide your case. You can use these clues to build up your case against interrogating a suspect. A suspect will respond to a question that Cole asks in their own way. It's up to the player to decide whether he is telling the truth or lying. In order to do this, the player must take notice of the facial expressions and body movements that the suspect does (nervouse twitches, worried expressions will always reveal a liar). There are three options; truth, doubt and lie. If a person is lying but you can't prove that he is, you doubt him. If he is lying, and you have hard evidence, you outright accuse him. You then have to search through all the evidence and choose the right one that corresponds to the response given. This is an amazing gameplay mechanic that intertwines unique gameplay with the Motion Scan technology in an almost flawless way.

The musical score fits the game perfectly. From chase scenes, to crime scenes, to interrogations, the music and chimes take the player to 1947 and keep them there until they are done playing. The radio plays classic 40's jazz and big band hits that'll keep your foot tapping whenever your patrolling the streets looking for gangsters to ruin their day.

The acting is phenomenal. I say acting because it's no longer just voice acting. L.A. Noire's technology brings the actor into the game itself. These actors bring the player an unparalleled emotion by using both voice and expression. Aaron Staton of Mad Men brings Cole Phelps to life. I didn't find any of the actors unbelievable in their delivering of the characters. It's all the reason why L.A. Noire is such a story telling power house.

The facial animations that Team Bondi and Rockstar have been promoting are gorgeous. It's amazing how the actors have to provide not only a voice but must react to real situations presented in the game. It is a real shame that the beauty of the faces really bring out the flaws of the body animations and environments that would have otherwised gone unnoticed. The body animations are puppet like and sometimes do not cooperate with facial animations. A lot of the environments' textures are bland or do not load properly during cutscenes while shadows are laughably pixelated. In any other game, these would be minor flaws but in a game where the facial animations are a definite step forward in graphical technology, it's a shame that everything else is somewhat lacking in quality.

The lack freedom of L.A. Noire is a definite setback compared to games like Red Dead and GTA. The player is able to select the option of simply exploring L.A., searching for badges, uncovering landmarks, and answering dispatch calls. Unfortunately, the player cannot make Cole go on a trigger happy happy rampage or even throw a few punches on unsuspecting civilians. The player cannot draw his weapon or fists while on duty (hell, Cole can't even run over pedestrians with their ninja-like reflexes). The player is left upholding the law with no other choice. (We want to at least HAVE the option to cap a few innocents, right?)

L.A. Noire is very story driven. In some aspects this is a good thing and in others this is not. Rockstar provided a riveting tale and intriguing cases taken from actual crimes that hold its own in entertaining the player even if the gameplay falls short at times. The story, being as appealing as it is, can take away the focus of the gameplay and aim it directly at the story. (i.e. skipping action sequences). It's evident that Rockstar wanted a unique gameplay experience and they definitely have one but with certain instances during the game it seems they wanted to rush the player out of brilliant action sequences so they can sit back and relax to watch the cutscenes. It's incredibly unfortunate that such brilliant gameplay and potential exploration was sacrificed at the cost of story which should never be the case for a video game. Other than these apparent flaws, L.A. Noire is an incredibly deep and unique experience that any gamer should at least try. The game, although lacking in replay value, definitely offers players an unforgettable experience even if you'll find yourself spending a significant amount of time watching rather than controlling.

RANK: B

Fun: 3/5
Lasting Appeal: 2/3
Controls: 5/5
Graphics: 1/2
Sound: 2/2

Review: Xenoblade Chronicles

2012-06-14T16:23:00.002-07:00

Xenoblade Chronicles

The masterpiece that almost never was . . .

Developed by Monolith Soft
Published by Nintendo
for the Wii
Released April 6, 2012

After the announcement of the Wii U at e3 2011, the Wii became a footnote in Nintendo's agenda with only The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword to look forward to in 2011 and absolutely nothing in 2012. This made the story behind Xenoblade Chronicles' localization all the more gratifying. Nintendo had no plans of bringing Xenoblade to North America which would have meant an absolute drought for Wii owners. Fortunately, with the dedication of devoted fans through petitions and communities such as Operation Rainfall, Americans and Europeans finally have a chance to get their hands on one of the greatest JRPGs of all time.

The world that Xenogears/Xenosaga mastermind Tetsuya Takahashi created for Xenoblade is a grandiose and almost exaggerated take on science fiction story-telling. You live on the eons-old corpse of a god that died fighting another god in a battle as old as time itself. And that's just the backstory. The main story has you lead Shulk, the wielder of the Monado Blade, and his friends as they set off on a journey across the Bionis (the big dead god they live on) in order to destroy an army of living, talking mechs all while saving a princess from giant mind-reading birds called Telethia. As insane as it sounds in summary, Xenoblade is actually full of endearing characters placed in a story enveloped in emotion and suspense. It’s a story with intertwining twists and dilemmas that keeps the player captivated.

Being made solely for the Wii, Xenoblade looks great for a game developed on last-gen hardware. Textures and character models look horrendous even during cutscenes. Objects look bland and jagged while animations such as jumping look awkward. This game certainly does not lack in aesthetic beauty, just don’t expect to find much detail in anything up close. The real beauty comes from the world and the environments themselves. I have found myself staring in awe at the game’s natural ambiance blended with its beautiful colors and lighting effects. Walking through Satorl Marsh at night or looking up at Eryth Sea from the Frontier Village gives a sense of appreciation for a world designed to balance and infuse life and nature into one living entity through its art style and music.

Xenoblade is one of those rare games that have a flawless soundtrack. JRPG composing veterans Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts, Mario & Luigi) and Yasunori Matsuda (Xenogears, Chrono Trigger) lend their expertise to create another exquisite score. Every area of the Bionis has a tune that changes to adapt to the day-to-night cycle, much like how the visuals change depending on the current time. During the day, songs are livelier whereas night evokes a more solemn take. It requires true mastery to fully comprehend an environment in order to create not one but two complimenting interpretations of a single composition.

There would be no point in creating such an immersive world if the developers thought you’d only be in it for ten or fifteen hours. The creators knew that with the amount of quests, leveling, upgrades, and exploring they embedded into Xenoblade , players would easily reach the 80 hour mark. The combat alone has so much implemented that the game never stops introducing you to new battle concepts.

The combat gets its gameplay cues from MMOs and classic JRPGs. The player battles enemies in real-time and can move the main character around the battlefield during combat. The characters will auto-attack every few seconds but Arts can be deployed at any time from the player’s battle palette. Your two partners will attack independently although I was surprised to see how well the A.I. follows your pattern of attack. If you inflict Break on an opponent, they will follow up with Topple causing the foes to fall over. The need for A.I. cues such as Gambits in Final Fantasy XII is rendered unnecessary when the A.I. performs this intelligently. “Visions” will also stop the battle to show the player a powerful attack an enemy will use on a character in order to give the player enough time to defend themselves against it. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as guarding against an ultra-powerful attack thus “changing the future”. Classic RPG effects like buffs and debuffs remain, however, the ability to heal using items is not available, making all healing only possible through Arts or auto-healing after a battle. All this makes combat addictive, fast-paced, and fluid. The battles can become pretty intense with multiple or overpowered enemies all on the screen at once and although there can be slow-down at times, it in no way takes away from the overall gameplay.

Every character’s Arts can be leveled up to increase damage, effects, or decrease cool down time. Every weapon or piece of clothing has the potential to hold gems which offer the player boosted attributes. Gems can be crafted using crystals and cylinders in sort of a fun team-building minigame. Relationships between team members and NPCs can be improved by quests and battle cues which help in seeing special character development scenes called Heart-to-hearts. With all this and the countless quests and collectibles not to mention the story, Xenoblade definitely offers a life-consuming experience.

The player must be warned; before you decide to pick up this incredible game, do yourself a favor and buy a Classic Controller Pro. Playing with the Wiimote and Nunchuk will become frustrating in its odd button placing and camera adjusting and can ultimately put a damper on the flow of the game. Playing with the Classic Pro offered no hindrances or problems and felt appropriate with Xenoblade’s combat style.

Without hesitation, I can place Xenoblade Chronicles on the same tier as JRPG classics like Final Fantasy VII and Chrono Trigger. Xenoblade is the prime example of how a game can successfully evolve and reshape a genre all while staying true to devoted fans. And to think, if it wasn't for these fans, everyone outside of Japan would be stowing away their Wiis instead of experiencing this gem.

RANK: A+

Fun: 5/5
Lasting Appeal: 3/3
Controls: 5/5
Graphics: 1/2
Sound: 2/2